


While My Guitar Gently Weeps

by Denim_Wizard



Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F, I'm Bad At Summaries, Other Additional Tags May Be Added, Slow To Update
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-22
Updated: 2020-11-19
Packaged: 2020-12-28 05:22:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 42,119
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21131327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Denim_Wizard/pseuds/Denim_Wizard
Summary: Still recovering from a bad breakup, Ruby meets a woman while working. What she wants, Ruby doesn't know and who she is Ruby wants to find out.orPyrrha has a crush on the girl at the coffee shop and wants to talk to her.





	1. Wild Horses

**Author's Note:**

> I just like really wanted to post something (even though I've got other stuff coming out soon) so...

The alarm blared briefly, her fist coming down onto the clock in a swift motion. The young woman let out a sigh, continuing to stare at the ceiling like she had for the past hour. When she'd woken up, she was still dumbly surprised to find the other half of the bed cold. It took a moment for her sleep-addled mind to remember where she was, what had happened nearly a week ago.

It hadn't been raining when she woke up-at least she couldn't hear it-though it seemed to be coming down now. Rain pounded against the bathroom window, her view of the city below blurred and warped.

"Shitty day for a shitty mood I guess," the girl muttered, spitting into the sink.

After changing out of her pajamas, she made her way to the kitchen. Leaning against the counter, she watched the coffee dribble into her mug. Her budget be damned, she wasn't going to take her sister's handouts. She was already imposing enough as it was. Technically, this wasn't even her coffeemaker. It was, well had been, her girlfriend's. But when she left, she didn't take it. She sipped the drink, her tongue only recoiling slightly. Checking the digital display on her oven, she nearly spit her drink back out. She placed the still-steaming coffee on the counter, grabbing her case before racing out the door.

* * *

Of course the rain had somehow gotten worse. What had been a mild shower was now a deluge, and the fact the her girlfriend had taken the one umbrella when she'd left suddenly made much more sense. Despite the fact that she only had to walk from one end of the block to the other, she still arrived at work bordering on soaked.

The shop was somewhat crowded. It wasn't as bad as it got when things were _ really _busy, though there was still a sizable amount of people there. With a little pushing, she made her way to the stage. Undoing the clasps on the case she pulled out her guitar, sitting on the stool her sister had set aside for her. For a minute or two, she fiddled with the tuning keys before addressing the modest crowd.

"Hi, I'm uh," she cleared her throat, "I'm Ruby Rose and-" her eyes caught on a head on the other side of the shop, a lump forming in her throat, "And I uh, I think I need a minute." Carefully, she set her guitar down before retreating offstage.

Pushing through the **Employees Only** door, Ruby bolted down the hallway and out the back door, once again standing in the pouring rain. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, her breathing coming fast and shallow. She balled her hands into fists, her knuckles going white. Tears stung the corners of her eyes, further blurring her vision. Spinning, she brought her foot against the side of the dumpster, the metal ringing for a few moments

The door opened behind her, a hand on her shoulder causing her to turn back around. A mass of blonde hair; warm, strong arms wrapping around her.

"Are you sure you want to work today?" the other voice was soft, barely audible over the downpour.

"Yeah, rent's due soon," she sniffled, "If I don't pay on time this month I'll probably get kicked out. You know how Roman is," she broke away, turning back to the dumpster, "We were late last month because _ she _wanted to go somewhere for our anniversary, so I'm already on bad terms," she kicked the dumpster again, another ring echoing out, "Him and his damn money, that's all he cares about."

"Blake and I'd be happy to give you some money, we've already paid rent this month," the blonde offered, "And even if he does kick you out, you can move in with us. Glynda wouldn't have a problem with it once one of us told her about it."

"I don't want to just take advantage of you guys-"

"You're not taking advantage of us if we want to help you Rubes," the other woman cut her off, placing a hand back on her shoulder, "I get that this is really rough for you, and I can't even begin to imagine how you feel, but that doesn't mean you should just refuse help if it's offered to you."

A silence hung in the air for a moment, the rain continuing to drum against the asphalt. Ruby shifted on her feet, hugging herself.

"Did you know she was in there?" she asked. Her voice was low, shaking.

"Did I-" the blonde thought about the question for a second, "No," she answered, "Blake's been working the front today, she's the one seeing everyone. Maybe she mentioned it but..." she trailed off, rubbing the back of her neck. A faint blush crept across her cheeks, "We've been pretty busy today Rubes, you know how loud it can get sometimes." The other girl stayed silent.

"If I did, I absolutely would've spit in her drink," she joked.

The door opened again, a raven-haired girl poking her head out, "Yang, I hate to interrupt but I need your help."

"Gotcha," the blonde nodded, "C'mon Rubes, let's get inside."

Following the other two, Ruby walked back down the hallway, pushing the door open again. The crowd had significantly reduced in size, though the line was growing rather long. Scanning the seats, it seemed that the others had left. Taking a deep breath, she stepped back onto the stage and sat back down on the stool.

"Sorry about that, I just uh," she swallowed, "Stage fright, y'know."

* * *

"Thank you," she spoke to the modest crowd, a few strangers tossing stray dollars and loose change into her case, "I'm sorry if that brought the mood down a little it's just," she coughed, "Haven't really been in the best place recently," she hopped off the stool, "Thanks again for listening, hopefully I'll see you tomorrow."

She grabbed her guitar case, sliding it onto a booth table. Grabbing the money, she began to count it as she pocketed it, mentally calculating how much she still had to make. Once the case was clear she slid her guitar inside, latching it shut. She moved the case off the table, leaning it against the bench. Yang would be out in a moment with her drink, she'd have another fifteen minutes and then she'd have to actually start work. Closing her eyes, she leaned back in her seat. Maybe if she asked nice enough, Maria would give her an advance on next week's pay. That would cover rent and most of her groceries. At least she wasn't buying for two people anymore.

"Excuse me?" a voice drew her from her thoughts, eyes slowly opening. A red-haired woman stood in front of her, hair tied back in a ponytail. The woman was tall, taller than Yang and almost comically taller than herself. Her eyes were a vibrant green, like a polished emerald. A scarf was wrapped around her neck, her black trench coat sparkling with droplets of rainwater, "You're the woman who was just playing, right?"

"I uh," she cleared her throat, "Yeah, that's me."

"Mind if I sit with you?"

Ruby blinked up at her, her brain struggling to process the request, "S-sure, have a seat," she stuttered out a few seconds later. The other woman giggled.

"I thought your songs were very lovely," the redhead admitted, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

"Thank you," she responded, "I'm uh, I'm glad you liked them."

"What inspired them, if you don't mind me asking?" the redhead inquired, taking a sip from her drink.

"Just a pretty shitty situation," Ruby told her, "It's not exactly something I want to talk about, if I'm honest."

"I'm sorry," the other woman apologized, "I suppose it's none of my business, is it?"

"It's fine," Ruby mumbled, watching the faint blush spread across the woman's cheeks, "If you listen to the songs carefully enough, you can probably figure out what it's about," she gave a short, dry laugh, "Honestly it might not even be that difficult. Mom always said I wasn't exactly subtle."

"Subtle or not," the other woman looked up from her hands, meeting Ruby's eyes, "I think they're rather beautiful."

She could feel her face growing hot, "Thanks," she rubbed the back of her neck, looking down at the table, "It's nice to know my sister isn't lying."

"Why would she lie to you?"

"I dunno," Ruby stated dumbly, her gaze now fixed on a chair near the front window, "Protect my ego? Try to support me? She's not exactly big on lies."

"You don't seem like the type to have an ego," the woman noted, taking another sip from her drink.

"I'd hope I didn't," a small smile graced her lips, "If my sister's girlfriend has told me anything, it's that they're insufferable. Even if she is just playing it up." The redhead laughed lightly.

"From my experience, they can be a tad annoying to work around," she commented, "It can get in the way of certain things."

"Yeah," Ruby agreed, "My sister getting her head through the door." The other woman laughed again.

"What was that?" a new voice asked.

Ruby looked up to see her sister, drink in hand and a smirk on her face, "You know I can still spit in this drink, right?" The shorter girl reached for the drink, the blonde simply moving it above her head, "C'mon Rubes, jump for it."

"You're an asshole," the younger sister shot, standing on the bench and grabbing the cup.

"You love me anyways," the blonde reminded her, a large grin on her face, "You start in ten," she told her sister, walking away.

Ruby sat back down, chugging most of her drink. The redhead stood.

"Well, I've got to head out," she sent Ruby a smile, "It was nice to talk with you Ruby. Maybe I'll see you again tomorrow?"

"I'll be here," she raised her cup, "It was nice talking to you too..." Silver eyes looked around, but the other woman seemed to have already left. She shrugged, downing the rest of her drink. Grabbing her case from the table, she once again made her way through the **Employees Only** door. Setting her case down, she grabbed her apron off the rack, tying it behind her.

"So you wanna tell us who that was?" Yang asked, leaning against a counter.

"I wish I could tell _ me _who that was," she sighed, running a hand over her face, "She left before I found out her name."

"Damn shame," Blake shook her head, "She's _ really _hot."

"Hey!" the blonde let out an indignant squawk, "I'm right here."

"Don't act like you didn't think the exact same thing," a blush crept across the older sister's cheeks, "That's what I thought," the raven-haired girl shifted back to Ruby, "She didn't give you a name or anything?" Black hair swished as she shook her head.

"Nope. Just 'it was nice talking to you' and 'maybe I'll see you tomorrow' so I guess I'll find out then."

"Oh well," Yang shrugged, "Tell ya what Rubes, we'll keep an eye out for her tomorrow. If she comes in while you're singing or whatever Blake'll whistle."

"You're working front tomorrow," the other girl pointed out.

"Then _ I'll _ whistle really loud," the blonde corrected, rolling her eyes, "Happy?"

"Very," Blake blew the girl a kiss.

* * *

Pyrrha raced up the stairs, a large smile splitting her lips. Turning down the hallway, she slowed her pace a little. She fumbled with her keys, taking a moment to unlock the door. Hurrying inside, she almost slammed the door behind herself.

"Weiss!" the redhead called, "Weiss come here!"

"I'm five feet away, you don't have to shout," a voice responded from the kitchen, "And my tea isn't ready yet so you're coming to me missy."

Removing her boots, Pyrrha hurried to the kitchen. A white-haired woman leaned against the counter near the stove, mug in hand. Clad in an oversized shirt and pajama pants, her hair stuck in all different directions, "Someone's awful happy."

The redhead nodded feverishly, "I did it." A white eyebrow quirked up, blue eyes scanning the girl.

"You did?" Weiss inquired, pouring water from the kettle into her mug. Her roommate nodded again.

"I-I asked if I could sit with her and she let me and we talked for like five minutes," she flopped into a chair near the table, "She's incredible."

"You know this after however many weeks of watching her and one conversation?" the white-haired girl questioned, "I think you might be making a bit of a leap Pyr."

"I mean obviously I'm going to go back tomorrow," the redhead raved, "See if I can't find out more about her."

"See if you can't get her phone number," Weiss told her, toying with her tea bag. Pyrrha's expression shifted, red hair swishing as she shook her head, "That's not gonna happen."

Blue eyes looked up from the tea, meeting emerald, "Why not? Does she not have a phone or something?"

"No, it's just," the redhead squirmed in her seat a little, "I'm pretty sure she just got out of a relationship, like a pretty long term one. She sings a lot about relationships and I don't think I've heard a positive song in the past week."

"I see," the white-haired girl mused, "What's her name again?"

"Ruby," Pyrrha answered, "Ruby Rose."

Weiss paused, took a sip from her mug, "What did you two talk about?" A faint blush dusted the redhead's cheeks, her smile returning a little.

"Well, I went over and asked if I could sit with her. She said yes, then I told her I liked her music. She thanked me. I asked her about what the songs were about, she said it's not something she wanted to talk about. After that we talked about her sister and her sister's girlfriend," a white eyebrow quirked back up, though Weiss continued to sip her tea, "At that point I think her sister showed up and that's about when I took off."

"What exactly did you say when you left?"

"I said I had to head out, it was nice talking to you and maybe I'll see you tomorrow," Pyrrha recalled, "Why?"

"You didn't tell her your name?" the white-haired girl asked, suppressing a laugh. Emerald eyes went wide, the girl bringing her forehead down onto the table. Again, Weiss tried to suppress a laugh, though this time failing.

"You forgot to tell her your name?" she laughed, setting her mug down on the counter. The redhead let out a loud groan. After taking a moment to collect herself, she shuffled over to her friend, giving her a pat on the shoulder.

"Hey, hey, easy," Weiss reassured, "You know where she works, you said you'll probably see her tomorrow. Just tell her then."

"I feel so stupid," Pyrrha whined, her voice somewhat muffled, "How did I forget to tell her my own name?"

"I don't know," the white-haired girl responded, "But you can tell her tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah," the redhead agreed, "I could go back, I think she's working right now."

"No," her roommate urged, "just wait until tomorrow. If you go back now just to tell her your name, things might get awkward. Whereas," Weiss sat down next to her, "if you work it into conversation tomorrow, it'd seem more natural."

"All right," she sat up, taking a deep breath, "Everything's fine. I'm gonna talk to her again tomorrow, I'm gonna tell her my name."

"That's the spirit," Weiss told her, "you can do this."


	2. Yesterday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the positive feedback! Have another chapter!

_"Hey Rube?" _

_ The shorter woman looked up from her book, "Yeah?" _

_ Her girlfriend fidgeted with the hem of her shirt,"Are-are you happy?" _

_ Silver eyes blinked, "Of course I'm happy!" she flashed the girl a smile, "I'm always happy with you. Aren't you happy?" _

_ The other girl avoided her gaze. Ruby's smile vanished, "Aren't you?" she reiterated. Her girlfriend let out a sigh. _

_ "Rube, do you want me to be honest?" _

_ She gave an awkward laugh, "I don't really know. You're kinda scaring me." _

_ "I don't think I can keep doing this." _

_ Ruby was silent, gaze trained on the girl across from her. _

_ "W-what?" she asked dumbly after a moment. _

_ "I don't think I can keep doing this," she repeated, "It-it's not like you or something you did. It's just," she turned, their eyes meeting, "not the same. There's no, spark, I guess." _

_ Her silver eyes burned with tears. "Oh," was all she could manage. _

_ "I'm moving out tomorrow," the other girl continued, "It's not like I have a lot anyways. I've got help so I'll be out of your hair as quick as possible. It shouldn't take us too long." The shorter woman nodded. _

_ "I'm really sorry Rube," she whispered, "You're a great girl, and I'm sure you'll find someone someday. But if one of us isn't happy, neither of us are going to be happy. And I wouldn't want to do that to you." _

She shot upright in bed, alarm sounding loudly on her nightstand. Her breathing was ragged, a thin coat of sweat on her forehead. Falling back onto her pillow, she lazily reached out and swatted at the alarm clock. In a second the noise was gone, and she was once again left in silence. Rolling over, her gaze fell on the other half of the large bed; the half that-until a week ago today-had been occupied. The comforter was still neatly folded, the pillows looked undisturbed. A picture of the two of them still sat on the other nightstand, their smiling faces trapped in time.

Why she'd gotten up when the alarm went off confused her. She didn't have to be in for work until after noon, yet here she was: fully dressed, coffee once again spilling into her mug. It wasn't even her alarm, or her clock. Five years of being woken up by the same incessant beeping would probably condition anybody. That was another thing she'd have to change.

Taking a sip, she looked out the window. Sheets of rain splattered against the glass, the occasional flash of light or distant rumble of thunder. The woman on the news had been right, even though Ruby had scoffed at the idea of a thunderstorm this late into the year, this early in the morning.

"Just keeps getting worse and worse doesn't it?" she muttered, watching blurry lines of light jump from cloud to cloud. Downing the rest of her drink, she grabbed her case and headed out.

* * *

The shop was significantly less busy compared to the day before. A handful of people scattered across the tables without a red hair in sight. Weaving through the empty tables, she pushed through the door. Setting her case down against the wall, she pulled her apron off its hook and slipped it over her head. Tying a knot in seconds, she reached up for her visor as an ear-piercing whistle rang throughout the shop.

She heard Yang laugh for a moment, her tone quickly switching after a less audible smack. After taking a few moments to recollect her hearing, she made her way to the front.

"Jesus Yang, what the hell was-" her eyes shot from her sister to the head of red hair on the other side of the counter, voice falling off, "Oh."

"Hi there," Blake stepped in, grabbing the blonde's arm, "I've got to go take care of something and she's got to help me. Ruby can take your order whenever you're ready."

"Don't mess this up Rubes," her sister whispered as the raven-haired girl dragged her down the hallway. Numbly, she stepped up to the counter.

"Hi, I'm uh, Ruby. Is there anything I can get you?"

"Yes," the woman responded, "I was wondering if I could get two hot chocolates and," Ruby could see the playful glint in her eyes, "maybe someone to share them with?"

"Coming right up," the shorter girl stated dumbly, her face growing hot.

"Oh, and feel free to throw whatever you like in the second one."

"Can do," Ruby swallowed nervously, "Is-is that for here or to go?"

The redhead giggled, "For here's fine." She placed more than enough money on the counter, "That should cover it."

The silver-eyed girl continued to stare at the money, "W-would you like a receipt?"

"No thank you," the woman told her, "and keep the change. I have always thought the service here was lovely," she seemed to purr.

"Got it," the younger woman nodded, her blush growing, "I-If you'd like to have a seat I'll have those out to you in a moment."

"I'll be waiting," she sent the girl a wink. The younger woman felt her face burn, ducking behind a machine.

She took a moment to collect herself, a few deep breaths in and out. It only took a few minutes for her to make the drinks, throwing some flavor syrup in one of them and quickly scrawling an _ R _on it. The conversation flashed through her head again, her face growing hotter. Glancing quickly at the tables, she couldn't see the other woman. Racing down the hallway, she nearly ran straight into the other two.

"Whoa, hey," Yang stood, "What's wrong?"

"She's-chocolate-share-change-service-wink," Ruby panted, hands on her knees. Amber eyes looked at the younger woman in concern, while the blonde attempted to control her laughter.

"What's wrong Ruby? Try taking a few deep breaths," Blake placed a hand on the shorter girl's shoulder, watching her breathe.

"She's fine," the older sister reassured, "just a little flustered."

"Did she flirt with you?" the raven-haired woman asked incredulously. Ruby nodded, silver eyes going wide. Finally losing control, her sister belted out a laugh, "Wow, she must've really laid it on thick." The younger sister nodded again, gulping down another breath.

"Okay, enough with the theatrics," the blonde clapped her on the back, causing her to stand up straight, "You've got this."

"Yeah I've," she let out a deep breath, "I've got this."

"That's the spirit!" her sister enthused, "Now go get 'er!"

The young woman disappeared back down the hallway.

"How long's it gonna take her to get all flustered again?" Blake asked.

"Like five minutes," Yang answered, "Now come on, we're technically supposed to be out front."

* * *

Gently opening the door, Ruby clutched the drinks in her hands. Silver eyes scanned the near-empty shop, landing on a bright red head of hair in a nearby booth. Immediately she felt her confidence deflate a little, the blush slowly creeping back across her face. Shuffling over, she set the drinks on the table.

"Two hot chocolates," her sister re-appeared behind the counter, sending her a thumbs-up, "a-and one person to share them with," she added meekly, sliding into the other side of the booth.

"Which one would you like then?" the woman inquired. Ruby slid the cup she'd marked towards herself. Sitting in silence for a few minutes, the pair quietly sipped their drinks. The redhead's smile fell away.

"I'm sorry I missed you perform today," she mumbled, "I hope this makes up for it."

"It's alright," the younger woman reassured, her voice soft, "I didn't do that today anyways. Was kind of a," she sipped her drink, "rough morning."

"I'm sorry," a particularly loud clap of thunder boomed overhead, "Was it the weather or something else?"

"A bit of both," she mused, swirling her cup before taking another sip, "Like I said yesterday, it's been pretty shitty recently. Mostly the last week."

"I'm sorry," the redhead apologized again. The silver-eyed girl gave her a weird look, "What?"

"It's just," Ruby searched for the words, "I don't like people feeling sorry for me when they don't have to. My sister's trying to do it, my sister's girlfriend's trying to do it, you're trying to do it. I don't need other people to feel sorry for me."

"I'm sorry," the woman repeated instinctually, covering her mouth. The shorter woman let out a sigh.

"Just forget it," Ruby told her, "I-I know you're just trying to be nice but considering I don't even know your name, you really don't have to care."

"Pyrrha," the woman whispered.

"What?"

"Pyrrha," she said again, slightly louder, "M-my name's Pyrrha."

"Well it's nice to meet you Pyrrha, but you don't have to pity me."

"I'm not trying to pity you," the redhead responded, eyebrows knitting together, "I'm just trying to get to know you."

"There isn't much to get to know," she sipped the remaining few dredges of her drink, "At least not much I want people to know right now."

"I get that," the other woman nodded, checking her watch, "I'm afraid I must be going," she stood, "Maybe I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Maybe," Ruby echoed, "Bye Pyrrha."

"Goodbye Ruby," she called back, walking out the front door and into the pouring rain.

* * *

"How'd it go?" Weiss asked eagerly, turning away from the TV.

Stepping out of her shoes, the taller girl walked over to the couch before falling face-first into a cushion, "I scared her," she whined, voice muffled, "I was too aggressive and now she thinks I'm just trying to pity her and I couldn't stop apologizing and I'm just," the redhead rolled over, "an idiot."

"You're not an idiot," her roommate soothed, rubbing Pyrrha's shoulder, "You've only been talking to this girl for what, two days now? How were you supposed to know how she'd respond? At least you told her your name this time, right?" Emerald eyes continued to stare at the ceiling, "Right?" the white-haired girl implored.

"I told her my name," Pyrrha confirmed, "I just, now I feel so stupid."

"Don't feel stupid. The apologizing thing is just who you are. _ You _ know you care about this girl, _ I _ know you care about this girl. The only one who _ doesn't _ is her because _ you _ haven't told her yet. I'm sure that even if, heaven forbid, you _ didn't _ like this girl, you'd still care about her because that's how you are. So don't act like this is the absolute end of it. I hardly doubt she'd shut you out because you flirted too hard."

"But what if she does? What if-what if she never wants to see me again because I pushed her too hard and she's mad at me? What if she has a girlfriend and-and she thinks-"

"Would you stop catastrophizing?" Weiss interrupted, "You need to calm down. You said so yourself a few days ago that you're ninety-nine percent sure she's single, and I don't want to hear about that one percent right now. Take a deep breath, and try to just put it behind you. It's not something you can change anymore, so just think about what you're going to do tomorrow," she grabbed the redhead's face, "If there's anyone I can think of who can win this girl's heart, it's you Pyrrha Nikos. But you can only do that if you stop freaking out over every little thing you think you did wrong."

"Thanks Weiss," the taller woman responded, "Can you let go of my face now?"

"Not until you believe in yourself," the white-haired girl answered, settling back into her seat.

* * *

She slammed the door behind herself, dropping her case and kicking off her shoes.

"Honey, I'm home," she called, venom in her voice for someone who wasn't there.

The young woman headed straight to bed, barely making herself change into her pajamas. Laying in the dark, silver eyes stared at the ceiling. The rain had stopped hours ago, the drumming of drops against the walls absent. For the first time in several hours, she was left to her own thoughts. Thoughts of what had happened a week ago; thoughts of what had happened hours ago.

A week later and she still didn't have an answer. At this point she didn't know if she wanted one. Maybe she'd be better off not knowing what it was that caused her to leave. Of course people grew apart, that might've been it. The other woman had seemed just as affectionate on their anniversary as she had eight days ago, though that wasn't saying much. Her girlfriend had been rather restrictive with her emotions, despite some of Ruby's reassurances.

She could feel the tears prickling at the edges of her eyes, a subconscious sign to switch topics. What about Pyrrha?

Silver eyes blinked. What _about_ Pyrrha? What was she doing, trying to gain, by getting to know some barista? Why did she care so damn much when it wasn't her fault? They'd only known each other for two days, and yet here she was trying to make her feel better. At least most of the time, when she wasn't making Ruby blush or just being really quiet.

What if she scared her off? The thought made Ruby's heart skip a beat. All this woman had wanted to do was get to know her, she'd said as much. But she'd been rude and jumped to conclusions. Gone off about how she didn't need the other woman's pity even though she didn't know if that was what she wanted to give. Today could be the last time she talked to the redhead and it would be all her fault.

Why would someone like Pyrrha want to talk to her after she'd responded the way she did? Two days in and she'd already screwed things up.

The tears were back, threatening to spill over. She should call Yang. Or Blake.

Or anyone.

Instead, she rolled over. A sob ripped itself from her throat, then another. The young woman shuddered, curling in on herself as more cries tore themselves loose. Her pillow caught any tears that might have escaped, muffled her voice. Not that there was anyone to hear her.

* * *

She didn't know how long she cried for, or when she fell asleep. One minute she was crying, the next the alarm was going off again. There was a particularly nasty _crunch_ as her fist came down on the clock.

"Solves that problem I guess," she whispered hoarsely.

Her throat hurt, more than the rest of her anyways. It felt raw and rough, like she had swallowed thumb tacks. At least she didn't have to work today.

Eventually she dragged herself out of bed and into the kitchen, putting a kettle on a burner. Rooting through her cupboards, the young woman dug out a few tea bags Blake had given her for when she was sick. Of course her sister's kitchen was stocked full of the things, so they could bear to part with a few. Her girlfriend had used one of these, when she was hit pretty hard by the flu at one point. It had seemed to work then.

Giving a distinct whistle, Ruby moved the kettle off the burner and carefully filled her mug. Dropping the bag in, she gave it a moment to steep. The rain had seemed to stay gone, giving her a clear look out the window for the first time in a few days. Grey clouds still hung in the sky however, its overcast nature threatening more storms at any moment.

A knock on the door echoed throughout her apartment, her heart picking up speed. Who was it? She was certain she had the day off today, Maria had told her to take it. Her sister would have called before she came over, or Blake would have called for them both. And _she _had no reason to come back, unless she was getting her now likely broken alarm clock.

Sneaking up to the door, she peered through the peephole. White coat, tall, cane even though he didn't need it. Possibly the second-to-last person she wanted to see right now. She opened the door.

"Howdy Little Red," he sent the girl a wink. She shivered.

"Still don't understand why you call me that," the young woman muttered, "Is there something you needed?"

"My rent money would be nice," the man responded, "_If _you have it, that is."

"Calm down Roman, I have it," she called, making her way into the kitchen. Returning, she handed the man a wad of bills.

"There," Ruby sighed, her landlord thumbing through the money, "Anything else you want?"

"The rest of it," he stated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Would you look at that? A summary. I mean it's probably not great but it's the best I've got. Anyways, only took me a couple weeks but here's chapter two. Don't know when chapter three will be out but considering I've got a bit of stuff going on it probably won't be for a little bit. Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed and I'll see y'all next time!
> 
> chapter title: Yesterday by The Beatles


	3. She's Leaving Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for being patient.

"Wh-what?"

"The rest of it," he repeated, "You're about a hundred short."

"Since when?"

"Since I sent out the notice upping the rent three months ago," Roman told her, eyebrows knitting together, "Did your girlfriend not tell you about that?" She shook her head, eyes meeting his. Roman let out a low whistle, "What a shitty thing to do."

"Look, I-I can get you the rest of it by tonight alright? I promise," she assured, her voice shaking, "I promise I'll have it all to you by the end of the day just, please. Give me more time. I can get it to you, I promise." He shook his head.

"Look Little Red, it's safe to say that you're probably the person I like most in this building. Never gotten any complaints about you, up until last month you've always been on time. You're a good kid, which makes this pretty hard," he reached into his coat, pulling out a folded piece of paper, "I get that this is probably not the best time to do this, based on all the stuff that went down," he gestured around with his cane, "here, recently. But honest to God kid, the sooner you get out of here, the sooner you can put her behind you."

"Is that what this is about?" Ruby asked incredulously, "Because my girlfriend dumped me, you think I won't be able to pay your damn rent?"

"No, I know you'll be able to pay. You'll be able to pay on time to boot. Especially if you can get a better gig than that crummy coffee shop. But you'll be miserable. And while I usually like my tenants miserable, you're better than most tenants. I don't want you to be living here because you deserve to live somewhere better than the tomb of your first real relationship," he placed the paper on the table, "I'm giving you as much time as I can here, but like I said, the faster you're out of here the better," he moved to the door, "I can talk to Glynda downtown, maybe get you something she's got available if I put in a good word for you. But you gotta be out of here by the end of those ninety days."

* * *

"Just gonna go in and talk to her normally," the redhead muttered, "Not going to try and be cute, not going to try and care. Just talk to her."

She pushed open the door to the shop Her eyes instinctively looked to the stage, only to find it empty for the second day in a row. Nearly the entire building was empty for that matter. No one at the tables, just the blonde woman behind the counter. Ruby's sister.

"You're not going to whistle again are you?" Pyrrha asked, stepping up to the register. She laughed, shaking her head.

"Not today, no. It's just Blake and I, Rubes has the day off."

"Oh," she rocked on her feet, "Guess that answers my next question."

"You want to go on _ another _date with my sister," the blonde leaned forward, "without even asking my permission?" Pyrrha could feel a blush blossom on her cheeks.

"Yang, would you let the poor girl be?" the other woman emerged from behind a machine, "You know damn well they aren't dates. It's bad enough she's got to deal with your terrible customer service."

"Fine," lilac eyes rolled, Yang straightening back up, "Hi, I'm Yang. Is there anything I can get for you today?"

"Nothing from the menu, thank you," the redhead answered, "What you _ could _ get me is some info about your sister."

"I don't really think it's my place to say anything about her," she admitted, rubbing the back of her neck, "Wouldn't want to say anything she doesn't want out there, y'know? Plus, there are things I don't know the answer to. You'd really be better off just asking her yourself."

Pyrrha opened her mouth to speak, the other woman pulling a ringing phone from her pocket, "Sorry, it's her. Gotta take this," the blonde brought the device to her ear, "Hey Rubes, what's up? I'm here with your-" Her smile disappeared, expression shifting.

"What?" The raven-haired girl made her way back to the front, a concerned look on her face.

"Are you serious?" she let out a sigh, "All right, I'll be over in a second." Yang slid the phone back into her pocket.

"I need to go help Ruby with something, it'd be great if you could stop by once your done," she gave the other woman a quick peck on the cheek, "We'll need all the help we can get."

"I can come help, if you'd like," the redhead offered, "I'm free all morning."

"It's kinda personal, actually," Yang admitted, "While I'm sure she'd really appreciate the offer, I don't think she'd be happy if I just invited you to come with me. Sorry."

"That's fine," Pyrrha waved a dismissive hand, giving a small, awkward laugh, "I can understand that. Tell her I say ‘hello’."

"Will do," the blonde gave a two-finger salute, disappearing through a door.

"I take it this wasn't how you expected things to go today?" the raven-haired worker spoke up after a moment. She shook her head.

"No, it isn't," the other woman confessed, "I planned on coming in here today and just talking to her for real but..." she trailed off. Blake cocked an eyebrow.

"For real? Were you _ not _being real or something?" the barista questioned.

"Kind of," she replied, voice rising half an octave, "Two days ago was almost me, yesterday wasn't. I tried being all flirty but it just seems like it freaked her out."

"She certainly wasn't expecting it," Blake told her, "Yang had to give her a pep talk 'cause you got her so flustered," she laughed a little, "What'd you say to her anyways?"

"Just stupid stuff," the blush on her cheeks deepened, "Asking for someone to share my drinks with, saying I'd be waiting, winked at her. Really dumb things like that."

"Alright, I'm off," Yang called, emerging from the other **Employees Only **door by the stage, "Drop by once your shift's over, I might call earlier though," she turned to the redhead, "I'll tell her you stopped by."

"Thank you."

"Wish me luck," the blonde sighed.

* * *

Ruby stared out the window, her gaze fixed somewhere on the skyline deeper into the city. Her building wasn't isolated by any means, but compared to where her sister lived it was pretty out of the way. That was one of the things she'd liked about it. There wasn't constant traffic, no crowds of people or anything like that. It was nice and quiet. And while she hadn't been working for Maria when she'd moved in, how close it was to her job became another positive once she'd started.

Now it just felt abandoned. Cast aside and left behind, as though the city itself had tossed it away. What had been a comfortable quiet now became a crushing silence. Without the constant sound of people shouting or cars running, Ruby was left alone to her thoughts much more often. And it wasn't something she was happy about.

It didn't help that the apartment itself was essentially dead. There was no one else to talk to, there hadn't been for more than a week now. Before that, the small chit-chat between the two of them had kept the quiet of the area from becoming _ too _overbearing. But now there was almost nothing to breathe sound into the dead zone the living space had become. The place had become, as Roman had aptly put it, a tomb.

She'd read the notice and done some light research, and obviously Yang would have it sent to Blake's parents. Sure, it was a quiet and cheap place to live, but maybe the near-criminal she called a landlord was on to something. Maybe the key to putting the last week behind her was to do just that. The young woman had lived in the same apartment ever since she'd moved out of their father's house to follow her sister. This was the only other home she'd ever known, and it had collapsed in on itself.

A knock on the door pulled her from her thoughts. "Come in," she called.

The door creaked open, doing the same as it shut a few seconds later. Ruby didn't even have to turn around to know who it was.

"This shit can't be legal," her sister complained, "He can't be allowed to just do this."

"It looks like he can," she responded, turning away from the window, "I've read it over and looked online, it seems like he's totally allowed to."

The blonde snatched the paper off the table, lilac eyes scanning it, "We'll see what Blake's parents think. There's no way he can kick you out for two late payments."

"That's not really what he's kicking me out for," the younger woman admitted. Yang looked up from the notice, confused.

"He came here and gave this whole spiel. Basically it's not actually about the money." One of the older sister's eyebrows arched.

"Not about the money?" she parroted, "What the hell is it about then?"

"He wants me out of here so I can put _ her _behind me," Ruby spat, "Says it'll help me move on and a whole other crock of shit. He said he gave me as long as possible and that he'd talk to Glynda if I wanted him to, but other than that he's not changing his mind."

"That can't be legal."

"It doesn't matter if it's legal because it's not what he put on the notice. He followed regulation with rent and everything, gave proper notice and all that. There's nothing we can do and I don't even know if I'd want to if we could."

"What?"

"As much as I hate to say this, he's probably not wrong," she sighed, flopping onto her couch, "Staying here won't help, all it's gonna do is remind me of her."

"Yeah, but," her sister countered, "He doesn't have to kick you out. Couldn't he just move you to a different spot in the building or something?"

"Probably!" she exclaimed, frustrated, "I don't know why I've gotta be kicked out of the damn building but apparently that's what has to happen! This place is convenient for me! It's close to my work, it's more out of the way than other buildings in the city! That's why we chose it! But yeah, a _ probably _ with a landlord whose building is halfway across the goddamn city is a sweet deal!"

"You can stay with Blake and I-"

"No I can't!" she jumped off the couch, "I don't want to just leech off you guys for however long! I'm gonna have to start picking up more shifts just so I can afford to _ live _ in Glynda's building! _ If- _and only if-Roman gets me a place there." She couldn't meet her sister's gaze, staring back out the window, "And I don't think that's gonna happen."

"I'll just move back home with dad," she continued, voice much softer, "I'm tired of being here anyways. I miss having space to breathe. Everything's so crowded here. We're all sharing the same damn air and half of it's smoke."

"What about the uh, the redhead?" the blonde asked after a moment. Her sister chuckled.

"What about Pyrrha?"

"Well what's she gonna think if you just take off?"

"Probably nothing," Ruby guessed, irritation clear in her voice.

Yang stepped closer to her sister, "She came in again today, to see you. Even offered to come here and help when you called." The younger woman bit her lip.

"I get that this week has been particularly bad for you, with everything that's happened. And I understand wanting to do things mostly on your own. Sometimes though, you need to realize you _ can't _ do something on your own. That it's _ okay _to ask other people for help."

"Because you're suddenly the expert on this?" her sister shot, "On swallowing your pride and asking for help with something?"

"No, I'm still not great at it," the blonde admitted, rubbing the back of her neck, "But neither is Blake. And that's something we've been working on together. Knowing when we need to just admit that we need someone's help," she hazarded another step forward, "Knowing when you need help isn't something to be ashamed of Rubes. We're not gonna make fun of you for asking for it."

"It's not that I don't know I need help Yang!" the younger woman snapped, turning back to her sister, "It's that I don't want to take advantage of you guys! You already tried to give me money for rent, you guys took me on that shopping trip last weekend and out to dinner like three nights in a row! I know damn well that I need help, all right? You happy to hear me say it? I know I need help, but with all you guys have done for me in the past week alone, I feel like I'm just using you two without knowing it!"

"You're not using us Rubes," Yang soothed, stepping forward again, "We want to help you, that's why we did those things. And we'd be more than happy to get you out of this place and let us stay with us. You aren't taking advantage of anybody."

"Yes I am!" tears shone in the corners of her eyes, "I'm taking advantage o-of you and Blake by getting you guys to do all this stuff for me just because you feel bad for me!"

The older sister shifted on her feet, "Are you making us help you?"

"W-well no, but-"

"Are you treating us badly?"

"I'd hope not."

"Then you aren't taking advantage of us," the blonde insisted, "You don't have to move in right away, if you want to move in with us anyways, but you always can if you need to. I'm sure Blake won't have a problem with it."

"All right," the younger woman muttered.

"I'm gonna go back to work," Yang moved to the door, "Blake and I'll stop by once we're done. We can eat in tonight. Sound good?" Ruby nodded.

"See you after work Rubes," she pulled the door open, "Love you."

"Love you too," Ruby called back.

* * *

"Problem solved?" Blake questioned hopefully as Yang re-entered the shop.

"Kinda," lilac eyes looked around, "Where's the girl?"

"She left a little after you did," the raven-haired girl told her, "What's going on with Ruby?"

"Roman's kicking her out 'cause she was late for two payments. Paperwork looks legit but we can still send it to your parents, see if they can't poke some holes in it. But it's also apparently so she can put _ her _ in the past, y'know? Apparently he said he _ might _ be able to get her a place in our building but he'd have to talk to Glynda."

"Couldn't she just stay with us?"

"That's what I told her, but she said that she'd take the place Roman got her _ if _he got her one. If he didn't, she said she'd probably just move back home with my dad. I told her that she could move in with us and she did her thing. Saying she didn't want to leech off us and stuff like that. Had to use the redhead as leverage."

"Really? How'd you do that?"

"Guilt trip," Yang answered simply, "Anyways, a little bit of arguing later and I think she finally got that she isn't using us."

"Finally."

"Also, we're having dinner with her tonight."

"Where at?"

"Just ordering in at her place after we're done here," Yang explained, making her way to the door by the stage.

* * *

She slammed her car door, sliding back into the driver's seat. One delivery left, then she could go home. Take off this stupid, uncomfortable uniform that didn't breathe for shit, take a nice, long shower. Stay up until one eating junk and watching videos on her phone before passing out with her hand in a bowl of chips and waking up several hours later with them everywhere.

Re-checking the address on the order, she clicked her seat belt into place. Her car groaned to life as she turned the key, the radio resuming its role of background noise. Punching in the location on her phone, she began to follow the route it laid out for her. The further she got from that frat house, the better.

_ Everybody _ there had been drunk, which made getting the money she was owed _ that _much more difficult. It probably didn't help that the guy who'd paid and his posse of meatheads had all tried picking her up or getting her number. Every thirty seconds one of them asked what she was doing later or if she was busy or whether she wanted to stay and drink with them.

It had been a little surprising to see that Cardin and his cronies managed to stay in college for the few years they'd been at school together, let alone that they were still there. Of course, just because they were _ there _didn't mean they were there for school.

Some ten minutes later she pulled up next to the curb, killing the engine. Grabbing the pizza, she headed into the building. The apartment wasn't that far up, fourth floor, though the elevator was broken.

"Always is," she muttered.

She took the stairs two at a time, carefully gripping the box through the insulated bag. In no time, she found herself in front of the door for her final delivery for the night. After taking a minute to catch her breath, she knocked lightly.

* * *

"Pizza's here," Ruby murmured, eyes not shifting from the screen.

Amber eyes flickered up to lilac, "You're the one who picked the place."

"Is it a crime to want to try new things?" the blonde wondered aloud, making her way to the door. Flicking back the bolt, she pulled it open.

* * *

"From Crust 'til Dawn Pizza," Pyrrha droned, staring at the ticket, "You got a large half-anchovy, half-pineapple?"

"Uh, yeah," Yang stuttered, "How much?"

"Sixteen ninety-nine," she responded, looking up. Her eyes widened, "Oh, hello Yang. Long time no see, eh?"

"Hey Pyrrha," the blonde greeted, "Yeah. Blake and I are just with Rubes for dinner. Eating in tonight."

"And this is dinner?" the redhead wrinkled her nose, "Definitely one of the more interesting combinations I've seen."

"That's them," she jerked a thumb over her shoulder, "I don't know how either of them can eat stuff like that."

Pulling her wallet from her jacket pocket, she began to search through the bills, "So is this why you're available all morning?"

"Yeah," Pyrrha sighed, unzipping the bag and pulling the pizza out, "Usually start at about noon or one and work 'til eight or nine."

"Yikes," Yang handed the girl a handful of bills, taking the box, "Are you doing anything after this?"

"You guys are my last delivery of the night actually," the taller woman admitted, slinging the bag over her shoulder, "Now I get to change out of this god-awful shirt, take a shower and relax. My roommate's out of town for a couple days so I get the place to myself for a while, which is nice. Why?"

"Well just, if you wanted to join us I don't think the other two'd have a problem," she half-mumbled, "And you can say hi to Ruby if you wanted." The other woman waved a dismissive hand.

"No, it's fine. I wouldn't want to invite myself in. Especially the way I am right now," she gestured to her shirt.

"Ah, I getcha," Yang nodded, "See you tomorrow?"

"Maybe. Good night Yang."

"Night."

* * *

"Here you go you freaks," Yang teased, tossing the box onto the coffee table, "Have at your unholy abomination."

"I'm sorry I was raised the way I was," Blake mumbled, flipping the lid back and grabbing a slice laden with fish, "It's just who I am."

"And usually I love who you are," the blonde told her, draping an arm around her shoulder and pulling her close, "But I don't know how you can stomach those things."

The raven-haired woman shrugged, taking a bite from the slice.

"Big talk from someone who puts ketchup on her mashed potatoes," Ruby jabbed back, reaching for a piece. Her sister's mouth fell open, hand pressed to her chest in faux hurt.

"Why is it that we can put ketchup on fried potatoes and it's fine but on mashed ones it's weird?"

"Texture difference," the other two responded in unison. Lilac eyes narrowed, flicking between the two.

"I can't believe this," she muttered, "My sister _ and _my girlfriend. Attacking me for no reason."

Both women swatted her on the closest shoulder, settling back into the couch a moment later. A comfortable silence fell over the group, the occasional rustle coming from the need for more pizza.

"How was work today?" Ruby asked, standing up, "Also if you want a drink now's the time."

"Work was fine," Blake answered, "I don't know where everyone's going, we got like no people. Pyrrha stopped by and that was pretty much it."

"There's a new Schnee something or other a couple blocks away that just opened. I swear they're gonna ruin this part of the city if they keep coming in here and throwing their money at whatever they want."

"Isn't it like another location in their bookstore chain?"

"Probably," Ruby grunted, popping the cork off the wine bottle, "I try to pay as little attention to them as possible. They've already got a jewelry store here. Here! For no reason! God knows most of the people who live here would be turned away at the door, so what's the goddamn point? Then they put up some giant building on the other side of the park so now whenever I'm over there all I can see is this gargantuan eyesore!"

Blake turned on the couch, facing the kitchen, "You really don't like them, do you?"

"Well what's there to like?" she yelled, pouring wine into a glass, "All that company does is throw money at its problems and the city treats them like they're above the law. Remember a few years ago when someone put out a report that said they used underage miners for their diamonds? Settled out of court. Or the other one from last year that said they lied about curbing emissions at their processing plants? Settled out of court. Or the one from four months ago where six people died in a mining accident because they failed to meet safety standards?"

"Settled out of court?" Yang tried.

"Dismissed entirely on grounds of lack of evidence because they had the location closed and leveled before charges could be filed," her sister corrected, making her way back to the couch, "They are one of the worst companies on the face of the planet, if they aren't already the worst."

"Didn't something happen to the board or something?" Blake questioned, "I read somewhere that something about the leadership changed recently."

"The old CEO stepped down and his daughter took his place," Ruby took a drink from her wine glass, "So nothing's really changed."

* * *

Pyrrha jolted awake, her phone ringing loudly on her nightstand. She squinted, the brightness making reading the number that much more difficult.

"Hello?" she croaked, voice thick with sleep.

"You would not be-_ lieve _some of these people," Weiss sighed, "The company this and the company that. It gives me a headache."

"Weiss I love you. I really, _ really _do. But do you know what time it is right now?"

"It should be around three in the morning, if I'm correct."

"You are," her roommate informed her dryly.

"I'm sorry. I figured you'd still be up," the white-haired girl apologized, "It's just, everyone here is insufferable and I needed to tell someone who'd understand."

"Can't you just tell them what to do?" the redhead asked, sitting up, "Aren't you in charge?"

"Technically, but just because I tell them to do something doesn't mean it becomes law. It's gotta be approved by myself _ and _the board. New buildings, money for settling suits, all of it has to be stamped by both of us."

"That seems surprisingly democratic for you guys."

"I'm sure it was at a time, but because of who's on the board now nothing's gonna get done. I'm not going to approve of their ideas because its all about profit and doing whatever we can to get it up, whereas my ideas are about maybe changing some of the ways we do things in order to improve public standing or the quality of life for our workers but to these bastards anyone under them is disposable."

"I can see how that would be frustrating."

Pyrrha could hear another voice, though she couldn't make out what it said, "I'm sorry, I've got to go. Lunch with the board. Hooray," the woman loosed another sigh, "Sorry again for waking you up."

"It's fine. Don't have to work today anyways so I can just-"

"Spend the whole day at that coffee shop?" she could hear the smirk on her friend's lips.

"Sleep in," the redhead finished, "Or can I expect another call in a few hours?"

"No, I'll let you sleep. Sorry for waking you."

"It's fine."

"Night Pyr."

"Good night Weiss. And good luck with the board."

"Thanks."

She placed her phone back on her nightstand, lying back down. Her clock showed the time, bright digital numbers reminding her exactly how early it was. With a sigh, she rolled over, forcing her eyes closed. After several more attempts at getting comfortable and nearly an hour of trying to go to sleep, Pyrrha slid out of bed with a huff.

"Damn it," she grumbled, making her way to her dresser, "Already awake, might as well get some exercise in. Maybe that'll tire me out."

She'd seen the sign for a park near the coffee shop, even thought about going a few times, though she'd never actually convinced herself to do it.

"No time like four in the morning to go for a walk," the redhead muttered, pulling her jacket on over her shirt. Slipping into her tennis shoes, she grabbed a few things, tied her hair back, and headed out.

"At least it's not pouring," she whispered to herself, shivering slightly at the early morning chill. The sky, inky black with stars dotted here and there, seemed to be missing the clouds that had covered it not two days prior.

She started walking her usual route to the shop, embracing the silence the hour provided. It wasn't often that she was able to experience the city so quiet. Hell, she could probably count the number of times on her fingers. That was one of the nice things about Weiss' trips being company-chartered: she never had to be the one to pick the girl up from the airport.

Would spending her whole day off at a coffee shop because of a crush on a barista really be a waste? It would solve the problem of finding something to do with her roommate out of town at least. Dropping in on Sun was always an option, it wasn't like he would mind the slight break in his cycle of bong hits and painting. She hadn't seen him in a while anyways, maybe he could come over once Weiss got back.

"I'll be back for you in a couple hours," she said under her breath, walking past the coffee shop towards the park. Her eyes trailed up the skyscraper that towered above the treetops, catching on the bright, white, Schnee Company logo fixed to the top. Sighing, her ponytail swung as she shook her head.

"Remember to talk to Weiss about that," the girl mumbled, hugging herself as she crossed the street to the park. Standing at the entrance, the redhead looked both ways before setting off down the path.

* * *

After a few laps around the park's trail, Pyrrha could feel her eyelids getting heavier.

"Gotta-" she was cut off by a yawn, "Oh, gotta get back home."

"I'm not so sure you’ll make it," a woman spoke up from behind her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really don't know what to say here other than that I'm sorry for taking so long and I hope you liked it. I should be able to get the next chapter up a little faster so, fingers crossed. Anyways, thanks for reading and I'll see you next time.
> 
> chapter title: She's Leaving Home by The Beatles


	4. Where Did You Sleep Last Night

The room was dark, the world outside lit by street lights and neon signs. Rubbing her forehead, she attempted to soothe the pain that had decided to make itself known. A minute later, once the ache in her head seemed manageable, she looked around the room. Her sister and Blake were gone, the television was off, and at some point one of them had moved the pizza box.

"Early bird gets the hangover I suppose," she muttered, standing, "'Least it's still dark out."

Shuffling to the bathroom, she dug through the drawers for a moment. Finally finding the bottle as her head began to throb with pain, she quickly unscrewed the cap and tossed back a few pills.

With her headache somewhat under control, she set the bottle on the counter. Pulling her phone from her pocket, she flinched as the screen lit up. Quickly turning down the brightness to something less blinding, the young woman sighed.

"Perfect time to start my day," Ruby grumbled, "Four in the morning with a raging headache, probably staring at that stupid snowflake."

Tiptoeing to her room, she changed into fresh clothes. Yang let out a particularly loud snore from the other room, forcing her to stifle a laugh. How Blake managed to share a bed with her sister would forever be a mystery.

Eyeing the can on her dresser, she grabbed it and stuffed it into her sweatshirt pocket. Why her dad sent her one of these every year was still confusing and a little insulting. She was all grown up, and thanks to her sister more than capable of defending herself if she needed to. Though with some of the people in this part of the city it certainly couldn't hurt to have extra protection, especially when it was still dark out.

* * *

Hugging herself, Ruby sat on the same bench she had every time she came here. Something about the park felt off. Maybe it was the lack of another person. The two of them had almost exclusively come here together because one of them couldn't sleep. More often than not, Ruby was the one being dragged out of sleep and subsequently the bed, but it wasn't like it was the other woman's fault.

She'd never been good at sleeping, at least for long stretches of time. Sure, Ruby would come home and she'd be out on the couch. But in twenty minutes, she'd be up and talking like she hadn't even been asleep.

Sleeping at night was a different story. The other woman had nightmares, and bad ones. Never as bad as Blake's, but still pretty bad. At least once a week, she'd wake up in the middle of the night crying or screaming or some combination of the two, and it was Ruby's job to get her to calm down. So they'd go to the park. It was close by, no one was ever in it, and because of how late it was everything was nice and quiet. They would walk to the first bench they found and just sit. Ruby would run her hand through the other woman's hair, whispering things in her ear to try to get her to calm down. A while later, she'd say she was ready to go back to bed and they'd head back.

Now, like the apartment, the emptiness of the park became less calming and more stressful. It wasn't the break from the world it had been, now it was just her. Sitting on a bench in the middle of an empty park at quarter past four in the morning.

_ Almost _empty, if the sound of footsteps on the path were any indication. Her hand shot to her pocket, gripping the can. Bright red hair caused her to raise her eyebrow.

"Gotta-" the woman yawned, "Oh, gotta get back home."

She shuffled past Ruby, seeming to take no notice of her. The shorter woman stood.

"I'm not so sure you'll make it," she spoke up. The other woman jumped, spinning around. Raising her hands, she stifled a laugh, "Easy Pyrrha. It's just me."

"Oh," emerald eyes blinked slowly, "Oh! H-" she yawned again, "Hello Ruby. What are you doing out so late?"

"Couldn't sleep," the younger woman shrugged.

"You too, huh?" the redhead shook her head, laughing lightly, "Weiss woke me up with a phone call at three in the morning to complain about her trip. After that I couldn't get back to sleep."

"Well you seem pretty tired now. And you don't live as close as I do."

"I'm only a couple blocks away," Pyrrha waved a dismissive hand, covering another yawn with the other, "It shouldn't take me too long."

"You could make it," Ruby agreed, "_ Or _, you could come sleep at my place because it's right across the street."

"I'd hate to intrude," the taller woman countered.

"And _ I'd _hate for something to happen to you because you were too tired to make it home," she insisted, "You're not intruding."

"If you're sure," she blinked, barely managing to open her eyes.

"Absolutely. Now," she took the other woman's hand, "c'mon. Let's get you to bed."

A blush spread across the redhead's cheeks. Here she was, holding Ruby's hand, on her way back to her apartment.

"I've got to go on walks like this more often," she whispered.

* * *

Ruby led her across the street and into the building, pushing open the door to the stairwell.

"We've got to take the stairs-"

"'Cause the elevators don't work," Pyrrha yawned, "I know, it was really annoying last night."

"You were here last night?" the shorter girl threw a curious look over her shoulder.

"Yeah. Who d'you think delivered the pizza?"

"I didn't know," Ruby answered, "Until now, anyways."

"Yang didn't tell you?"

"She made fun of my pizza choice and I couldn't let that stand so I had to call her out."

"It was a pretty weird pizza."

"Don't you start."

* * *

Twisting the key in the lock, Ruby pushed the door open. She poked her head inside, checking to see if either of the other two were up yet. With no one in sight, she pulled the redhead inside. The pair removed their shoes, the shorter woman continuing to guide Pyrrha through the apartment.

"We need to be quiet," she whispered, "Yang and Blake are in the guest room and-" her sister snored. Emerald eyes went wide, flitting down the hallway.

"They're still asleep," she finished, "Do you want anything? Something to drink? Close the door?"

"I think I should be fine," the redhead murmured, settling into the bed, "Thank you again Ruby."

"No problem. Can't have something happen to my favorite customer," she joked, a faint blush blooming on her cheeks. Pyrrha laughed softly, eyes sliding closed.

"Am I really your favorite?" the taller woman asked dreamily.

"Why wouldn't you be?" silver eyes darted to the floor.

"Because you've only known me for a few days silly."

"Probably helps that you're so cute," Ruby muttered, flinching. Looking up and finding the other woman asleep, she let out a sigh.

"Too close," she whispered, closing the door behind herself as she left the room. The shorter woman shuffled back to the couch, flopping face-first back onto it. Rolling over, she stared at the ceiling.

"I've got to go on walks like that more often."

* * *

Slowly, she opened her eyes. A broken alarm clock sat on the nightstand, the plastic of one corner cracked and bent. Sitting up, she looked around the room.

On the wall opposite her was the door to the rest of the apartment, now closed. Next to it sat a dresser, running along the rest of the wall. To her right were two doors, presumably to a closet and another nightstand with a framed picture on it.

Biting her lower lip, she stole a glance to the door before reaching across the bed and grabbing the frame.

Ruby sat on another woman's shoulders, both of them laughing. From what Pyrrha could tell, it wasn't a recent picture. Ruby's hair was completely different, and at least the shorter woman seemed younger in the photo than she did in person.

Quickly, she put the picture back and climbed out of bed.

"None of your business you little snoop," the redhead muttered to herself, forcing herself to leave the room. Opening the door, her nose was immediately hit with the smell of freshly brewed coffee and recently cooked food. She shuffled over back through the apartment, making her way to the kitchen. A woman, _not _Ruby's sister, stood at the stove with a spatula in hand. She was the other one from the coffee shop; Ruby's sister's girlfriend.

Her hair swayed as she turned her head, amber eyes widening in surprise, "Oh! Glad to see you're finally up."

"You knew I was here?" Pyrrha asked, taking a seat at the counter. The other woman nodded.

"Ruby told Yang when the two of them left for work, and she sent me a text once they got there," she explained, flipping something on the stove, "What were you doing at that park last night anyways?"

"My roommate is on a business trip, so while it's noon for her it's three in the morning here," the taller woman sighed, "She called me and woke me up. Spent an hour trying to just go back to sleep before I decided that an early morning jog couldn't hurt."

"Can in this part of the city," the woman at the stove responded, "Don't know if you've looked past that giant snowflake but this isn't exactly a well-off location. There are people here who'll cut you open for walking down the wrong alley," she moved some food onto a plate, "You're lucky Ruby found you when she did, she said you were pretty close to passing out." The redhead hummed in agreement.

"So," the raven-haired girl continued, setting a plate down in front of her, "got anything planned for today?"

"I've got the day off and my roommate's out of town, so odds are I'll be sleeping," Pyrrha shrugged, cutting into the fluffy pancakes on the plate, "Thought about dropping in on someone later today but I'm still kinda tired."

"I take it that someone wasn't Ruby?" the barista asked with a smirk.

"No it was not," she confirmed, "Though I did consider spending all day at your work."

"You get a day off from your job and you spend all of it at a coffee shop?"

"There are _unemployed people_ who spend all day at a coffee shop and the only thing you say to them is that you're sure this play will be a success."

"_They _aren't stealing one of the baristas to flirt with her."

The redhead continued to eat in silence, the raven-haired woman cleaning up the leftover mess from making breakfast. Finished with her food, she took her dishes to the sink.

"I know your girlfriend's name," the redhead began, sitting back down, "She's Ruby's sister and all, but I don't know yours."

"Blake," she answered, sipping from her mug, "Blake Belladonna."

"Well Blake Belladonna," she held out a hand, "Pyrrha Nikos."

"Nice to meet you," the shorter woman took the hand.

"So why aren't you down there today?" Pyrrha asked, releasing the other woman's hand.

"For once, I don't have to be there to open," she sipped her coffee, "plus, somebody needed to make sure you didn't do something stupid here."

A faint blush dusted the taller woman's cheeks, "And what exactly would I have done?"

Blake shrugged, "Dunno, but if I'm here you can't do it."

"I don't think you'll have to worry about me doing anything stupid," she stood, "Not here anyways."

"Going to see how she's doing?"

"No, I'm going to shower," she answered, slipping on her shoes, "After that, I don't know. I might stop by."

"All right."

"Thank you for breakfast!" Pyrrha called, disappearing out the door.

* * *

A gentle breeze caused his shirt to flow behind him, the coastal air comfortable on his skin. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath.

"Hey!" another man yelled, causing him to flinch, "Ganjatello! Somebody's here to see you!"

He stood, walking back into the house, looking around, "Where?"

"Hello Sun!"

"Holy shit!" he jumped nearly a foot back, looking around surprised, "You can't just sneak up on someone like that Nikos!" he laughed awkwardly. The red-haired woman concealed her laughter behind her hand.

"I'm sorry!" she responded, once she'd finally calmed down, "I didn't expect to scare you so badly."

"Yeah, well," he rubbed the back of his neck, "I didn't expect you to be here," his piercing blue eyes met her gaze, "Something you need to talk about? It's a pretty long drive from your place to mine."

"We can get to that," she told him, "Why don't we talk about you first?"

"Before we do that why don't we go back outside?" he gestured to the view behind him, "I'm kinda workin' on something."

"Just because you think your tan's a work of art doesn't mean it'll sell!" the man called from upstairs.

"Dude I swear to God, I'll put your mattress in the ocean while you're asleep!" he let out an annoyed sigh, "C'mon, let's go somewhere he can't bother us."

Pyrrha followed her friend back onto the balcony, the pair sitting down next to an easel. Various paints were laid out on a nearby table. Sun pulled a joint from his shirt pocket, lighting the end of it.

"Do you only own one shirt?" she asked, looking out at the cliff side, "I'm pretty sure you've been wearing that one since college."

"I'm a man with simple tastes," he set the lighter down near the paints, taking the joint in his mouth, "Why the hell do I need a bunch of shirts if I've got one that looks good?"

"Um, because it's disgusting to just keep wearing the same shirt day in and day out," the redhead wrinkled her nose, "I can only imagine the unspeakable things you've done both _in _and _to _that poor shirt."

He laughed, taking a drag and letting out a cloud of smoke, "If it makes you feel better, I have more than one shirt."

"It does," she nodded, looking him up and down. His white shirt sat open on his shoulders, buttons dangling uselessly by his side. He was fairly tan, his muscles a little more pronounced. His bright blond hair sat in an uncombed mess on his head, nearly falling in front of his eyes.

"So," he spoke up after a moment, pinching the joint between two fingers, "what kind of crisis is it? Money crisis? Family crisis? Gay crisis?"

"You know I don't like it when you call them that," the redhead mumbled, blushing.

"All right, a gay crisis," Sun leaned back in his chair, taking another drag from his joint, "Been a hot minute since one of these."

"Shut up," she shot back.

"Who is she?"

"She works as a barista at this coffee place. Sometimes she'll come in and play guitar," Pyrrha explained, "Her name's Ruby Rose."

"That's not a lot to go on."

"Well she's also really cute, especially when she gets flustered. She goes all red and stutters and it's adorable. What else," she eased back, thinking, "Crazy good with her guitar. Writes all of her own songs from what I can tell and I haven't heard a repeat yet."

"How many times have you talked to this girl?" his friend muttered something inaudible, "What?"

"Twice," she admitted, face growing redder, "Bu-but," she continued hastily, trying to beat out her friend's jokes, "I'm pretty sure she just got out of like a long term thing, so I don't want to rush in and mess everything up."

"I suppose that's a fair reason to have only talked to her twice after the nearly two-month crush you've had on her," he agreed, smirking as she placed her head in her hands, "But that doesn't change the fact that you need to talk to her way more before you can come and seek my sage wisdom."

"I don't want any of your "sage"," she responded, not looking up, "And I'd hardly call what you say wisdom."

"Ouch," he pressed his empty hand to his chest, bringing the joint back to his lips, "You'll cut somebody with that wit of yours." Another cloud of smoke and the joint was set in an ashtray, "Look at me." Emerald eyes stared him down, half-lidded.

"I'm sure you can get this girl, y'hear me? But you absolutely _have _to talk to her more, like that's a must. Get her phone number, see a movie with her, do _something_. It doesn't have to be anything romantic or cute, you just need to be able to find out more about her. Take her out drinking, meet up with her when she isn't working because you can't only exist when she's on the clock if you want this to work out."

"I know," Pyrrha groaned, "But I'm just scared."

"And it's okay to be scared," her friend reassured, "One of these days though you're gonna have to face your fears. Especially if you want this as bad as you say you do."

"Why do you have to make so much sense?" she huffed. Sun barked out a laugh.

"Sage wisdom baby." The redhead rolled her eyes.

"Shut up," she sighed, a smile playing at her lips.

* * *

The sun had started to set by the time she'd made it back home. Street lights were coming on, people making their own commutes home as the workday ended. Stifling a yawn, Ruby shuffled inside for the second time today. Kicking off her shoes, she went straight to the fridge and pulled the leftover pizza out. The microwave hummed, pizza spinning inside and Ruby watching it from the counter.

Today hadn't been bad, she may dare even call it decent. Business had picked back up after the past few slow days, plenty to keep her distracted all day. Sure, she was a little disappointed that Pyrrha never dropped by, even with Blake saying the other woman might go see her friend. Other than that though, work wasn't bad.

The shrill beep of the microwave pulled her from her thoughts. She grabbed the plate from the microwave, making her way over to the couch. Flicking on the TV, she leaned back, taking a bite of pizza. After a few minutes of surfing through channels, she settled on a movie from a few years ago. It was not five minutes, however, before a knock at the door broke the stillness.

Sighing, she shuffled to the door. After pausing a moment to collect herself, she pulled the door open.

"Oh! Hello Ruby," Pyrrha smiled, giving her a wave. She'd changed clothes since this morning; her sweatshirt swapped for a leather jacket similar to her sister's, maroon pants in place of leggings and boots rather than tennis shoes. If there was one thing the other woman didn't need, it was to be taller. Her hair was down for the first time Ruby had seen, crimson waves falling around her shoulders and against the brown leather of her jacket, "I hope this isn't too awkward."

"Not at all," she smiled back, looking up at the other woman, "What's up?"

"Well I just," she shifted her stance, "I feel as though I haven't thanked you for this morning."

"What's there to thank me for?"

"Because of you, nothing happened to me this morning. You opened your home to make sure I was safe, and I never got to say thank you so," she met Ruby's gaze, a small jolt shooting up the shorter woman's body, "I figured that I had to do something to make it up to you."

Ruby could feel heat grow in her cheeks, "I promise Pyrrha, you don't have to do whatever you _think _you have to do. I was just doing what I needed to. Wouldn't want something to happen to my favorite customer, remember?"

"I remember," she confirmed, "I just think that a gesture like yours deserves a gesture in kind."

Swallowing, the younger woman felt her blush deepen, "Don't you think it's a little soon to be doing something like that? We've only known each other for a few days, you said so yourself."

"We've had coffee together before, I don't think drinks are all that different," Ruby let out a sigh, "What?"

"It's just," she tried to explain, "I-I just jumped the gun on some things."

A faint pink dusted Pyrrha's own face, "I suppose the way I said things was open to interpretation." Ruby gave an awkward laugh.

The two stood for a moment, not meeting each other's eyes. The shorter woman cleared her throat, "So, where'd you uh, what would we be doing?"

"Right, I just thought we could," she released a deep breath, "If you weren't busy, I thought maybe I could buy you a drink," emerald eyes trained on her again, "to say thank you."

"Like tonight?"

"Anytime you'd like," the redhead responded.

"Well," Ruby rocked on her feet, "does tonight work for you?"

Pyrrha's smile widened, "It happens to."

"Great," their eyes met again, "Just give me some time to get ready."

"Take all the time you need."

"Be down in about twenty," she told the other woman, sliding the door closed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look at that, didn't take two months this time. Also, because I don't know when the next chapter's gonna be up, feel free to leave a comment. I've been trying to get better at responding to them. Anyways hope you enjoyed, thanks for reading and I'll see y'all next time!
> 
> chapter title: "Where Did You Sleep Last Night" by Nirvana on MTV Unplugged


	5. Heat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm back on my bullshit

She drummed her fingers on the steering wheel, crudely keeping time with the song on the radio. Her eyes flicked to the digital clock on the dash, mentally tallying how many minutes she'd been waiting. It wasn't like the other girl could stand her up, she had her address. If she'd just wanted to stay in tonight, all she had to do was say the word.

Hearing the  _ ka-chunk  _ of the car door brought her out of her trance. She glanced to her right, the shorter-haired woman looking to her expectantly.

"We all ready to go over there?" the taller woman asked.

"Ready," she confirmed.

* * *

She raced down the stairs, jumping four steps from the bottom to the ground floor. Her flannel shirt flowed behind her, resettling once she landed. After quickly adjusting her hair for the umpteenth time, she made her way outside.

"Hello," the redhead greeted as Ruby climbed into the car, eyes running over her outfit, "You look nice."

Fiddling with the hem of her shirt, she could feel heat rise in her cheeks, "Thanks. You too."

An odd silence settled between the pair, lasting a block before one of them broke it.

"So," Ruby began, clearing her throat, "where'd you have in mind?"

"My roommate and I have been to a bar downtown before, Neo's. Have you ever been there?" The younger woman shook her head.

"They do spiked root beer floats. If you just want drinks, they have things on tap," the car lurched to a stop at a light, "It's a pretty nice place."

"The only bar I have experience with is Junior's, and that's just 'cause Yang's banned." Emerald eyes gave her a curious glance.

"Yang and a couple friends got pretty plastered her junior year of college. Words were exchanged with a group of guys who'd been bothering them all night and about five minutes later there were some broken stools and all of them were getting escorted out," Pyrrha stifled a laugh, "You think that's funny? Try being in the room with my dad while my hungover sister explains why she needs to post bail for assault."

"Assault?"

"Well yeah, who'd you think broke the stool?"

The taller woman barked out a laugh, "I'd hope that's not how tonight ends."

"Depends on how strong these root beer floats are."

* * *

Pushing open the door, a wall of noise washed over the pair. Her eyes scanned the room, looking for any notable changes since the last time she'd been there. Coming up empty, she turned to the other woman.

"You're sure you want to go in here? Isn't it kinda loud?"

"Wasn't it always?" She stepped back, pulling the blonde with her. The door swung shut, the relative quiet of the street around them replacing the cacophony from inside the bar, "The Yang Xiao Long I know would walk into that bar and make it her bitch."

"The Yang Xiao Long you know was charged with assault because of that bar," she replied dryly, "Defending your honor, might I add."

"And I feel I've more than repaid you for that," the raven-haired woman purred, trailing her fingers up the taller woman's arm, "Unless you disagree."

"I more than agree," Yang affirmed with a nod, staring past her girlfriend, "I just don't see why we have to come back here. We've got plenty to drink at home."

"If you'd rather go back home we can," Blake raised her hands in defense, "I just figured it'd be nice to go out and drink for once."

"But here?" she turned, gesturing to the sign, "There  _ has  _ to be somewhere else we can get drunk in public."

"There is  _ another _ place I looked at," the shorter woman admitted, "It's just across the city."

"Better than a place I was banned from."

* * *

A bell chimed as Ruby pushed the door open, looking around. It wasn't a terribly large room, no bigger than the seating area of the coffee shop. The whole place seemed like a step back in time, decorated as though it were a malt shop. Pink and brown paint coated the walls, mixing with the white trim. All the menus hanging behind the counter were blackboards, items and prices written in colorful chalk.

Tonight it seemed relatively busy. A fair amount of the tables were taken, a few people seated at the bar. As Ruby approached the counter, she noticed a smaller chalkboard.

"Please be patient, I am mute," she read to herself, eyes glancing at the face next to the message with a crossed out mouth.

A shorter woman popped up from behind the counter. Her hair matched the color of the walls, half deep chocolate brown, half pale pink. A name tag was pinned to her top. She smiled, sending both of them a wave.

"Hi!" Ruby greeted, "Could I get a strawberry float?"

The woman behind the counter nodded, eyes shifting to Pyrrha.

"I'd like a standard, please."

She nodded again, punching numbers into a tablet. The taller redhead pulled her wallet from her jacket pocket, handing over a couple bills. Depositing the money, she held out change.

"Thank you!" Ruby told the woman as they moved to their seats.

An odd silence settled around them. Silver eyes continued to trace patterns along the wall and up onto the ceiling, taking in every ounce of the building. Different sentences raced to the edge of Pyrrha's tongue to wither away. What if this question was too intrusive? What if that statement brought up something uncomfortable? Saying the wrong thing could ruin the rest of the night for both of them, but if she didn't say anything then it probably wouldn't be that great either.

Her ponytail swayed as she shook her head slightly, one hand clenched into a fist, "I'm sorry I didn't come to see you perform today."

"What? Sorry?" her gaze snapped back to the woman across from her, "Oh, it's okay. I didn't really go for that long anyways and I'm pretty sure you've heard some of it before," Ruby's cheeks were practically as deep a red as her namesake, "If you want, I can play again tomorrow so you can come in and see me then."

She sent the shorter girl a small smile, causing her to go back to examining the ceiling, "I'd love that."

The shorter woman's throat bobbed as she swallowed, "I'll just talk to my boss about it."

Her smile faltered, eyes widening slightly, "If it's something that'll get you in too much trouble then you don't have to-"

Ruby laughed awkwardly, a smile of her own leveled towards the taller woman, "It's not something that'll get me in trouble. I just have to tell my boss if I'm gonna play in the morning," she shook her head, leaning back in her seat, "Maria's actually super cool about it. She lets me play and I get to keep all the money people give me on top of pay and tips."

"I wish I got to keep tips," Pyrrha muttered, glancing out a nearby window, "Instead all I get for dealing with drunk college kids and creeps trying to get my number is minimum wage."

The woman from behind the counter appeared, setting two glasses down on the table before disappearing with a grin.

"Thank you!" both women called in unison.

"And thank you," Pyrrha added, voice softer, looking back to Ruby, "for what you did this morning."

"It wasn't that big of a deal," the shorter woman insisted, "I'm sure you would've done the same thing. I know I wouldn't have thought to do something like this."

"Well then," the redhead raised her glass, "Let's just say we're both thankful."

Their glasses clinked together, heads tilted back. A moment later both cups came back down onto the table. Ruby winced, her lips breaking into a large smile a second later.

"Hoo boy, that's," her hair swung wildly as she shook her head, "that's a lot." Pyrrha giggled.

"They take a little getting used to," she agreed, "But it isn't like they're bad."

Ruby nodded, "Yeah, they're really-"

The bell above the door rang. Turning quickly in her seat, she glimpsed the two new customers. Silver eyes went wide, the younger woman nearly reeling around and grabbing the other woman's wrist. The taller woman let out a squeak.

"We need to leave," she breathed, "Like now."

* * *

"It's certainly interesting," the blonde commented, looking around the sparsely populated pub, "Seems nice."

"Nicer than Junior's?"

"Way nicer," Yang assured, "The fact that all the lights look like they're working already puts it way up there."

The interior seemed rather generic for a pub. Plenty of dark hardwood coupled with a handful of greens. Anything that wasn't one was some variant of the other. The mirrored shelves behind the bar were lined with expensive looking bottles, the bar itself lined with taps. Lining the walls were signs for various brands of liquor, televisions or neon signs adding color to the dim yellow produced by the lights hanging from the ceiling.

It wasn't terribly packed, but the building was far from empty. There were a handful of empty tables scattered across the room, with two or three empty spaces left at the bar. Despite how many people were present, it was oddly quiet. Not silent, but significantly less loud than it looked.

"Your uncle told me about this place."

"He did, did he?" she rubbed her chin, "And here I was thinking he had absolutely no taste."

Blake nodded, "He said that if I ever needed somewhere nice for an anniversary or a birthday or something that this was the place to go."

"With all the booze behind that bar, I'm surprised he was sober enough to remember the name of the place."

Her girlfriend laughed, "He didn't get the name  _ exactly  _ right when he told me, but it was close enough that looking up what he told me got me to it."

"I might have to actually thank him then," she sighed, wrapping an arm around the other woman's shoulder and pulling her close, "Why don't we find a table and I'll get us some drinks?"

Blake leaned up, placing a kiss on the blonde's cheek, "Sounds like a plan. You know what I like."

Weaving between a crowded table and some patrons at the bar, Yang approached the mountain of a man behind it. He was a good foot taller than her, black hair cut incredibly short. The sleeves on his pale green collared shirt were rolled back past his elbows as he polished a glass with a rag.

"Hi! I was wondering if I could get a Strawberry Sunrise and if you've got either a Merlot or a Cabernet Sauvignon back there somewhere I'll take a glass of that too."

He nodded, "Coming right up."

Sashaying through the field of tables, she worked her way to the booth Blake had claimed. She slid onto the bench across from her, absentmindedly taking the other woman's left hand in her own.

"How was work this morning?" Blake asked, running her thumb along Yang's knuckles.

"It was pretty nice. Not all that crowded but all the people who were there liked what Ruby played enough to give her something," her brow knitted together, "Pyrrha never showed up though. I mean I know about what happened this morning and all so it wasn't like they didn't see each other but still."

"She said something about seeing someone this morning but she also seemed pretty set on sleeping so," amber eyes followed the looping cursive of a sign on the wall, "I'm sure she didn't mean anything by it. Besides, like you said they saw each other this morning."

"Yeah," Yang sighed, "Rubes didn't seem all that upset about it."

The raven-haired woman nodded, "She seemed fine when I was with her. Maybe a little quiet, but she might've just been tired."

"Or stressed. Hell, with how rough the last week's been I wouldn't be surprised if it was both."

"I'm worried for her," Blake responded, her voice soft, "Just, everything that's happened on top of how much she doesn't like asking for help. It seems kinda like a ticking clock for something to go wrong, don't you think?"

"Of course I do," the blonde squeezed her hand, "I'm terrified that whatever she's got going on with Pyrrha is gonna die out or something and she's only gonna get worse. That she's gonna work herself until she can't so she doesn't have to ask for help or move in with us. That she's just gonna keep winding up with stress until she snaps and something happens. And we can try and help her out as much as possible, be there for her and everything but we can't  _ make  _ her do anything. We can't  _ make  _ her come live with us, we can't  _ make  _ her stop working so much. We can't even  _ make  _ her accept our help if we offer it."

The shorter woman reached her other hand across the table, thumbing away a tear near the edge of Yang's eye, "Hey, it's not gonna come to that. We aren't gonna have to force her to take our help because she's gonna get out of this. Yeah, we're gonna help her but she'll pull herself out like always, dust herself off and write some damn fine songs about it."

Yang laughed a little, a smile returning to her lips, "You're right. She's stubborn, not stupid. God, she's so much like mom sometimes it hurts."

A brunette woman approached their table, two drinks in hand. "Strawberry Sunrise?"

The blonde raised her free hand, drink sliding across the table to her.

"And the Cabernet Sauvignon," she finished, placing the wine glass in front of Blake, "Can I get you two anything else? Menus?"

"I think we're good for now, thank you," Yang replied.

"Of course. Enjoy your drinks," the waitress scurried away after flashing a polite smile.

Their eyes met again, sending a jolt through the taller woman's body, "Sorry for just talking about Rubes. I know you wanted this to be about us but-"

"You're worried, I know," the corner of Blake's mouth was cocked into a small smile, "You're her big sister, you're allowed to be worried. I'm the one who brought her up, remember?" she squeezed Yang's hand, "I'm worried too, but it's nothing she can't handle for the time being and she's always got us to help her. She's taking it easy tonight, we've got nothing to worry about."

"Yeah," Yang lifted her drink, "To a night just for us."

"To a night just for us," Blake echoed, clinking their glasses together.

The glass barely left her lips when the taller woman felt her phone vibrate in her jacket pocket.

* * *

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Ruby muttered, leading the redhead back to the car by her wrist, "I'm so sorry."

"H-have I done something wrong?" Pyrrha asked once the shorter woman let go.

"No, no it's not you it's just that," she sighed, her shoulders slumping forward. Silver eyes, hidden behind bangs, continued to not meet her gaze, "I'd just like to go home now. I'm sorry."

"Oh, of course," she responded softly, unlocking the car.

The car ride back to Ruby's building was silent, the cheerful mood left behind with whatever the younger woman had seen. The taller woman didn't say anything, didn't even look away from the road. Ruby's business was Ruby's business, and if she decided to confide in her then that was her decision. If she didn't want to say anything, she didn't have to.

The photo from Ruby's room flashed in her mind. She swallowed, adjusting her hands on the wheel.

"We're here," Pyrrha murmured, breaking the silence.

"Thank you," the other woman's voice was just as soft, barely keeping steady, "I'm-"

"You're fine," she reassured, turning to look at Ruby, "Don't worry."

Silver eyes continued to stare back at her, small trails of mascara running down her face. Reaching up, she licked her thumb and wiped one of the trails away. it smudged across her cheek, a line of black stretched wide. She couldn't stand to see Ruby like this. If there was something she could do to make the other girl happy again, she would do it in a heartbeat. Seeing Ruby hurting, distraught, sad, however she felt right now made Pyrrha's heart ache.

She swiped again, and again, until the streak was gone. Then she kept going, gently brushing the other woman's cheek. Another silence settled in the car, far less uncomfortable but filled with an entirely new kind of tension. The redhead could feel Ruby's breath on her chin, her pink lips barely parted. With how little space was between them, it would be so easy to just lean in and bring them both together.

Half-lidded eyes continued to look back at her, head seeming to inch closer with every brush of the taller woman's thumb. She should stop. Ruby should have gotten out of the car and gone inside a long time ago. They shouldn't be this close to each other. Despite that fact, she couldn't help but match the shorter woman as her head bobbed forward every few seconds.

Her lips were soft, the faint strawberry from her drink still present. The redhead's hand slipped off her cheek, tangling in short hair. They moved slowly, took their time. Pyrrha's heart felt like it was going a million miles a minute and frozen at the same time. Her eyes slid shut, the hand in Ruby's hair pushing the two further together. The younger woman seemed to be content in following her lead, deepening the kiss slightly. Whatever construct of time they'd established was smashed to bits. She had no idea how long they stayed like that, locked together in the front seat of her car. All she knew was that she treasured every moment of it. And while it seemed to go on forever, it was still over all too soon.

Slowly, emerald eyes opened. Ruby's cheeks were pink, her shoulders heaving as she breathed softly, "I um-I should probably get going," she stuttered, not meeting Pyrrha's gaze, "Sorry again for earlier."

"You're fine," she kept her voice quiet, eyes still locked on the other woman, "We can try again later this week if you'd like."

"I would. I'd like that a lot," the door clicked as she pushed it open, "I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Of course."

"Good night Pyrrha."

"Good night Ruby."

She stayed until she watched the younger woman disappear into the building, bringing a hand to her lips. They still felt electric, buzzing with the feeling of contact. Slowly, she sank down below the dashboard.

Weiss was going to kill her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I know it's been a pretty hot minute since I've posted anything, let alone something for this. And I'm sorry 'cause I've had nothing but time to work on it and I've just brushed it off. But I finally kicked my own ass and decided to do something besides flicker between works on my two favorite ships and staring at the text box like that would just magically make the story happen. I don't know exactly how long it'll be until the next chapter's up but it should definitely be less than four months.
> 
> As always, thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed, have a great time until the next chapter's up and thank you so much for your patience. I'll see you soon.
> 
> P.S. Chapter Title is "Heat" by Faye


	6. Love Of My Life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ¿owo qué es esto?

She fell against the door, the slam echoing through the apartment. Her blood roared in her ears, knees shaking beneath her. Sending a quick text to her sister, she slid down to the floor and tried to calm down.

Ruby's heart raced, the skin on her cheek still warm from Pyrrha's thumb. The hand still tangled in her hair, the lips still on hers, they were all there. The moment continued to replay in her mind, when one of them finally leaned a little too far to take back. Had she gone further than the other woman anticipated? Forced her to do something she didn't want? She'd already ruined her attempt at saying thank you by freaking out _ and then _keeping Pyrrha in the dark.

Nervously, she chewed her lip. What if Pyrrha hadn't wanted to kiss her? What if all she'd actually wanted was to just say thank you, go out for drinks and just stay friends? The taller woman didn't say anything about it after it happened, but then again neither did she.

What if she'd already ruined everything again?

She shot onto her feet, grabbing her case from by the door and racing to her bedroom. Frantically, she threw the clasps open and pulled the instrument out.

* * *

"Pick up, pick up, pick up," she muttered nervously to herself as the phone rang against her ear. The heels of her boots clicked on the floor as she paced her bedroom.

"You know what time it is here, right?" Weiss huffed through the phone.

"I kissed Ruby," she blurted, the words tumbling out of her mouth before she could think.

"You did _ what_?" Pyrrha could practically hear the other woman's eyes go wide.

"I kissed Ruby," the redhead repeated, panic lacing her tone, "And I think I messed everything up."

"Okay, slow down for me. Take a few deep breaths, alright?" she obliged and a few moments later Weiss continued, "Now tell me what happened. Slowly."

She took her time explaining the day, starting just after their first phone call. How she had run into Ruby at the park, what she had done for the taller woman. Her conversation with Blake, her conversation with Sun. The attempt at saying thank you and Ruby's unexpected request to end it early. What she'd felt when she looked over to the other seat and saw the other woman totally distraught and the way it pulled at her heart.

"Then we kissed, said good night and she went back inside," Pyrrha finished.

Her roommate was silent for a moment, "Which one of you leaned in first?"

"I don't know Weiss," she sighed, falling back on her bed, "I don't know if she did or if I did but someone did because-"

"You kissed, yeah. Got that," Weiss paused again, "Are you seeing her again anytime soon?"

"Possibly," the redhead answered, "Weiss?"

"Yeah?"

"What if she didn't want to kiss me?"

"You're kidding right?" she scoffed, "Pyrrha, if I could roll my eyes for you, I would. There is no shadow of a doubt in my mind that this girl didn't want to kiss you."

"She never said she did though, and she didn't look at me after it happened," she countered, voice rising half an octave, "What if I was completely wrong about the situation and I forced her into it?"

"Did you make her kiss you?"

"I don't think so."

"If you aren't absolutely sure you made her kiss you, then you didn't force her," the other woman responded, her tone brusque, "Look, I don't know how I can convince you so you're just gonna have to find out yourself."

"How?"

"Well, when's the next time you're supposed to see her?"

"I'm supposed to meet her tomorrow."

"Ask her then."

"I wi-"

"I want to repeat that," her roommate interrupted, "just to make sure that you don't spend the rest of the night freaking out before coming up with an excuse. Even though I'm sure she wanted to kiss you, all you have to do is talk to her about it. The next time you see her, ask her if what you did was okay. Got it?"

"Yes Weiss."

"Good. I'll be home around noon tomorrow, and I want to hear everything again. You hear me missy?"

Pyrrha chuckled, "Loud and clear."

"I've gotta go," the white-haired woman sighed, "Finalizing some stuff that should make it easier to change how we do business today. I'll see you soon."

"Goodbye Weiss."

"Oh, and Pyrrha?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm really happy for you."

"Thank you."

* * *

"This is exactly what I was worried about!"

"What do you mean?" Blake asked incredulously, "We don't even know what she needs yet!"

"Something happened, I knew something was gonna happen," she muttered, climbing into the car. Jamming the key into the ignition, she twisted it and the engine roared to life.

"If anything this should be a good thing," the raven-haired girl offered gently, hand on the blonde's shoulder.

"What about the text 'Come over' is a good thing?" Yang demanded harshly, already speeding down the street, "I don't know why we have to but I do know that I'm freaking out."

"So am I but you've gotta calm down, take a step back and look at it," her voice was still soft, calming, "It shows she might be willing to ask for help."

The car slid to a stop at a light, giving her a moment to collect herself. Blake was right because she was always right about something. Even though she didn't know what Ruby needed help with yet, the fact that she was seemingly willing to ask for it was already a positive step. Her head dipped against the steering wheel, scolding herself for overreacting.

"I'm sorry," she muttered. Blake's hand moved down her back, tracing small circles, "I'm just so scared for her, and when I get a text like that I'm gonna freak out. I overreacted, I didn't mean to be all rude, I'm sorry."

"You're fine, Yang," the raven-haired woman reassured, "And I'm sure she's fine too. But there's only one way to find out, and I'm pretty sure it's not sitting in traffic."

Lilac eyes looked up from the steering wheel at the now green light, foot pushing down on the gas, "Yeah."

The short remainder of the ride passed in silence. Blake continued to do her best to calm her girlfriend as Yang tried her hardest not to imagine the worst. Ruby seemed to want to confide in them about something, so maybe she had actually let herself ask for help. That only begged the question of what had gone so wrong to finally push her to the point of doing so.

Climbing the stairs, fear continued to stir in her. Had something gone wrong with Pyrrha? Had she run into _her_? Had Roman stopped by to pull the rug out from under her on the apartment? The scenarios only got more painful the closer they got to the door.

"Before we go in there," the shorter woman broke the silence, gaze burning into her, "you wanna take a minute? Try and get anything out?"

Nodding, the blonde pulled her into a tight hug. Tears burned at the edge of her eyes as she squeezed them shut. One of Blake's hands tangled in her hair, the other drawing soft lines up and down her spine.

"She'll be fine," she whispered soothingly, "Whatever it is, I'm sure she'll be fine. And I'm so proud of you, so proud to be with you. Because you're the best big sister she could ever ask for."

Yang let out a loud sniffle, trying as hard as she could to pull her girlfriend closer.

"I love you," Blake continued, breath warm against her ear, "I love you so, so much. And Ruby does too. More than you could ever imagine. With everything you do to help her out, she'll be back on her feet in no time. She'll push through everything and come out the other side because she's strong like you."

"Thank you," the blonde mumbled, "Thank you so much."

"Of course baby," she leaned up, planting a kiss on Yang's forehead before pulling out of the embrace. Her hand traced along the other woman's arm, slotting into her hand and giving it a quick squeeze, "Ready?"

"Do I look okay?" Yang joked, wiping her eyes.

"Just as beautiful as the day we met."

Yang tried the doorknob, pushing the door open as it turned. Soft guitar chords floated through the apartment, mixed with muttered words and occasionally, the scratch of pencil on paper. Both women knew what that meant, sharing a knowing look before making their way further inside.

As suspected, Ruby sat on her bed. The instrument in her lap was temporarily forgotten as she made quick notes, scribbling something furiously. Blake knocked lightly against the door frame, causing her to jump.

"I'll have you know you owe me a strawberry sunrise," her sister greeted, smiling weakly, "What'd you need?"

"I uh," she set the guitar off to the side, "I think I messed up, and now I don't know what to do."

"Whatever it is, I'm sure it's something you can fix," the raven-haired girl told her, "And it's not like we're gonna judge you for anything. We're here for you and we'll do our best to-"

"I kissed Pyrrha!" she exclaimed suddenly, eyes squeezed shut as the words rushed from her mouth.

"You did _what_?" Yang and Blake yelled in unison.

"We-we were in her car, and she'd just taken me out to get drinks but then I saw _her _there so I made her take me home," Ruby jumped off the bed, pacing back and forth while gesturing wildly, "And she was just doing this-this _thing _with her thumb and I don't know which one of us went too far but I'm pretty sure it was me and now I don't know if she's mad at me or anything and I'm just really scared!"

"Okay, okay. Ruby," Blake placed a hand on her shoulder, stopping her in place, "Calm down for us. We want to help you, but honestly that was too fast for me to really grab a whole lot of what happened. Look, why don't we go out to the living room, Yang and I'll sit down on the couch and you can just take your time saying everything."

Blonde hair bobbed as her sister nodded, "Breath Rubes. Blake and I aren't going anywhere."

The shorter woman swallowed nervously, taking a shaky breath, "Alright, just-just let me put some stuff away."

"Take your time," the raven-haired woman responded, dropping the hand from Ruby's shoulder and stepping back out of the room, "We'll be out on the couch whenever you're ready."

Making their way back to the living room, both women got comfortable on the couch. The sky was dark by now, the room bathed in the warm yellow glow of the lamps on end tables. Blake snuggled against her girlfriend on the couch, head dipping into the crook of the taller woman's neck.

"I'm sorry tonight didn't go how you wanted," she mused quietly, toying with a length of golden hair, "One of these days we'll be able to go out for a night."

Yang laughed softly, throwing an arm around her girlfriend's shoulder, "Yeah, but if Rubes needs help I don't think it's a night ruined. Helping her isn't gonna be a waste of time, even if we were doing something else," she placed a gentle kiss to Blake's temple, "Besides, the night's still young and I happen to know about a bottle of Pinot Noir at our place that isn't gonna drink itself. Maybe we can have a glass or two and see where they take us."

Blake smiled lightly, Ruby's footsteps growing louder and louder, "I think I know exactly where they'll take us and I'd be more than happy to go."

"Alright Rubes," her sister started, "Tell us what happened, and take it slow."

She launched into an explanation, significantly slower than her first one. When Pyrrha showed up and the awkward conversation that ensued, which Yang made sure to laugh at. The drive to Neo's and the discussion of her history with bars. Their conversation and her promise and how the evening was interrupted when _they _walked in. The apologies she'd given and how respectful Pyrrha had been during the ride back. How the car fell dead silent while her heart drummed in her ears as soon as the other woman put that hand on her face. What it felt like when their lips met, when the hand from her face slipped into her hair, when the kiss ended all too soon.

"Then I asked if I'd see her tomorrow and she said yes so I told her good night and got out of the car," Ruby finished, falling into a chair near the window.

"And you think she wasn't comfortable with kissing you?" Blake questioned, one eyebrow cocked.

"Well she didn't say anything about it! Neither of us did but like, I'm pretty sure I was the one who kissed her first but even then-"

"Rubes, if her hand was where you say it was, I'm pretty sure she wanted to kiss you. Like, we've all seen Pyrrha. No offense, but she could've pulled you off if she wanted with that hand alone," Yang continued, despite her sister's offended squawk, "but she didn't."

"But like what if I made her feel like she had to?"

"While I suppose that's possible, I'm pretty sure she was okay with it," the raven-haired woman answered, "Look, she's supposed to come see you play tomorrow, right?" Ruby nodded, prompting her to continue, "Just ask her then if what you did was okay, and if she says it wasn't then apologize."

"What if-"

"I'm gonna stop you right there," Yang interjected, "Until you know _for sure_ how she feels about what happened, don't try to project her feelings onto your actions. You can't assume you know her feelings on it and use those assumptions to make yourself feel worse, all right?"

"I guess," the shorter woman answered softly.

* * *

Despite Blake and Yang's best attempts to assuage her nerves, it was still rough getting enough sleep that night. She tossed and turned, worried about how her conversation with Pyrrha would go the next morning. All she could hope was that they were right and what she'd planned worked.

The coffeemaker struggled to fill her mug, the scrapings from the bottom of the bin barely topping it off. Sighing, she set the steaming mug aside to cool. Her hands were shaking and she hadn't even had her coffee yet.

Nervousness continued to pool in her gut, dripping in slowly with each passing second. Closer to the decision she had to make, whether or not to act on the plan she'd made. What if it didn't work? What if she'd ruined everything? Christ, how dramatic was she that this was the second time in three days thinking she'd messed up irreparably? All over a woman she hadn't even known for a week.

Steeling her nerves, she knocked back her coffee. It burned down her throat, an almost painful warmth coursing through her. She tossed on a coat before she grabbed her case and left. The gust of wind that hit her as she left the building nearly pulled the door from her hand, whipping her short hair around. Even with the sun in the cloudless blue sky, it did little against the cold of the wind as it tried to dig through her coat.

Weaving around tables and past people, she made her way to the stage. Her nerves returned twofold as she looked back out at the crowd, doubts flashing through her mind. Was this the best way to do something like this? In public with so many other people watching? Would that affect Pyrrha's reaction at all?

"Hi, um I'm Ruby Rose and I," silver eyes scanned the shop, trying to find the person she was doing all this for, "I think I'll just get started."

She didn't play for very long, not that she felt up for it anyways. Her songs kept to the slower side, hoping against hope that she drug her performance out enough for red hair to show up. It was certainly a wrench in her plan she hadn't accounted for, and it hit like a wrench too.

Maybe she'd been right to be afraid. The line she had toed was crossed, there wasn't a going back. They had hit do-or-die and it seemed like Pyrrha had chosen to let it bleed. Which was fine; Ruby had been the one to go too far. If the other woman didn't feel comfortable with what Ruby had done, she had every right to leave.

None of that meant that it didn't sting a little. Or a lot.

It took everything she had to keep from breaking down as she finished her last song. Keeping her voice steady enough to thank everyone was a struggle and waiting for everyone who wanted to give her money was agonizing. By the time she'd packed everything away and whisked it behind the **Employees Only **door, she was at a breaking point. She flew through the hall and out the back door, wiping at her eyes with the backs of her hands.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" she scolded, kicking the dumpster with each insult, "You idiot!"

The metal rang in the alley, blending with distant city noise. Her foot pulsed, pain slowly beginning to dissipate. One of these days she was going to dent the side. Or break her foot.

Why had she thought that the other woman would want to see her again? After what she'd done yesterday, she was probably lucky to come away without a harsher confrontation. All Pyrrha had wanted to do was do something nice for her, and even then she'd managed to ruin it. Made it awkward with how vague she'd been. This was the bed she'd made, so now she had to lay in it.

Strong, slender arms wrapped around her, pulling her close enough to feel the height difference between this woman and her sister. She didn't say anything, letting them bask in the relative quiet of the alley. The silence was tense, tingling with words unsaid.

"Maybe she's just late," Blake murmured, her voice just above a whisper.

"She's not late," Ruby responded bitterly, "She's not showing up."

"You don't know tha-"

"I do, Blake! I can just, I can feel it, alright? She isn't coming," she broke from the other woman's embrace, walking back towards the dumpster, "Not like I can blame her."

"Ruby what are you talking about?"

The shorter woman spun around on her foot, "Why would she want to see me again? After the shit I pulled yesterday? I went too far and it screwed everything up, so why the hell would she want to talk to me?"

"Look at me," amber eyes bored holes into her, "I've seen the way she looks at you, I know how she talks about you. This girl is end over end, six foot head over heels for you! Do you know what else she probably is?"

"I don't. What else is she?"

"Probably terrified! If you were freaking out about what happened last night and you've only known her for a week, imagine how she feels after having to _work up the courage to talk to you_!" she shifted on her feet, "Yeah, she didn't show up yet today, and sure she might not. But that in no way means she doesn't _want_ to see you. It just means that she's even more scared about this than you are!" Blake brushed hair away from her eyes, gaze softening ever so slightly, "She cares about you, Ruby. Cares so much that she's probably worrying herself sick wherever she is right now. Because she's running the same train of thought ten times worse."

"Well it's my fault she's freaking out like that isn't it?" silver eyes finally locked onto her, "I'm the reason she's so scared because _I _didn't say anything about it. Why would she want to see me after all this? After I went too far and scared her like this? I'm not gonna _make _her talk to me if she doesn't want to, I've already made her do enough."

Blake sighed as Ruby marched past her and back inside.

* * *

"How'd it go?" Weiss asked, sitting on the end of her bed. Pyrrha mumbled something incoherent into her pillow, "What?"

"I didn't go," she bit back, propped up on her elbow, "I got scared." Emerald eyes stared at her expectantly, "Well?"

"Well what?"

"Aren't you gonna nag me or something? Give me a speech about how I shouldn't be scared?" she rolled onto her back, "Isn't this an excuse?"

The white-haired woman sighed, "I could talk your ear off about how you shouldn't be scared to talk to her, which you shouldn't be by the way," Pyrrha rolled her eyes, "But I'm not going to shame you or anything like that. If you're scared, you're scared. That's fine. This is a pretty big deal, so it's okay if you are. Take your time and talk to her when you aren't scared anymore."

The redhead groaned, falling back onto her pillow, "Why do you two know what to say?"

Weiss smiled, "I can't speak for the idiot, but _I've_ known you for a while. Long enough to know when to nag you and when to help you."

* * *

Her heels clicked against the sidewalk, wind pushing against her dress. She wasn't lying when she said she knew when to help the other woman, and two weeks later was definitely the right time.

Two weeks since the frantic call at six in the morning, gushing about her evening before quickly collapsing into doubt and irrational fear. Two weeks since she confessed that she hadn't gone through with it while laying in bed. Two weeks of random sighs and front doors opened only to be closed seconds later as she shook her head.

Pushing open the door, music flowed through the air. A woman on a makeshift stage, guitar in hand, playing some song that sounded positively heart-wrenching. If she didn't know who the song was about. The shop itself seemed fairly busy, more tables taken than empty. Some people nodded along to her music, others engrossed in their own quiet conversations.

"Hello," the blonde woman behind the counter greeted, "How may I help you?"

"I'm looking for someone," Weiss answered, "I was told she works here."

"May I ask who you're looking for?"

"Ruby."

Her smile seemed to falter a bit, "Okay, may I ask who's looking?"

"Pyrrha's friend."

The smile vanished, the taller woman leaning in close, "I don't know what this is about, but I'd suggest you leave."

"Is it safe to assume you're her sister?"

"It is," the blonde replied curtly.

"Okay, before you kick me out, let me speak."

She stepped back, crossing her arms, "You've got five minutes."

"You know how much your sister likes Pyrrha. I know how much Pyrrha likes your sister. If your situation is anything like mine, you'd know how much she cares and also how much she blames herself. We need to get them somewhere and make them talk this out, because otherwise they won't do it."

"And how do I know this isn't just so she can tell my sister to get lost?" the blonde demanded.

"I can promise you that she's absolutely miserable at home since she's stopped coming here in the mornings. She's testy, I swear some days I'm walking on glass eggshells trying to keep her from throwing herself down on the couch and not getting up. Without your sister, she's falling to pieces but she's also too scared to try and reach out herself."

"So she's sending you?" the woman scoffed.

"She doesn't know I'm doing this, and that's the way I'd like to keep it," Weiss admitted, "If you're willing to comply, your girlfriend too wherever she is, I think we should try and get them together so they have to talk."

A blonde eyebrow cocked, "Was there any place you had in mind?"

"The only thing I can think that we need is somewhere they'd be comfortable going. We just need to set a time and place, then back out and strand them with each other."

"I think I can arrange something," she said after a moment.

* * *

"What do you mean you can't make it?" Ruby whined, leaning back against the seat.

"Look Rubes, I'm really sorry but Blake's not feeling great right now," Yang's voice was quiet in her phone speaker, "I'm not just gonna leave her here."

"I know, you stay home and take care of her," the younger woman sighed, "I'll just get a taxi home or something."

"Why don't you stay out? When was the last time you let yourself have some fun?" her sister suggested, "You've already got the table, just make the most of it. Get some drinks, live a little."

"Your definition of fun and mine are pretty different," her eyes followed the signs on the wall, "This place isn't really my thing. At least not while I'm here alone."

"Just stay for a little bit. Get one drink, on me. I'll pay you back for it."

"Alright," she acquiesced, "One drink. Then I'm going home."

"If that's what you wanna do. Have fun Rubes."

"Tell Blake I hope she gets better."

"Can do. Love you Rubes."

"Love you too Yang," she responded, "We'll have to come back when Blake's feeling better."

"Yeah," Blake groaned in the background, "Gotta go, the missus needs me."

"Don't kill her dork."

She slid her phone into her pocket. It seemed like a place her uncle would find, with all the bottles behind the bar. Even with the extremely tall man serving them who could fold her uncle like an omelette. The whole place seemed very traditional, the kind of place she pictured when she thought of the word "pub". Dark woods, similarly dark paints. Plenty of signs on the wall and enough alcohol to put Qrow under the table for a month.

If only she could find a waitress. Just get her drink, down it and head home. The hostess who'd led her to the table seemed to have vanished. Climbing out of the booth, she snuck between tables to the bar.

"Hi, can I get a rum and coke?"

The giant bartender looked down at her, "ID?"

Pulling her wallet from her jacket pocket, she slid the card across the bar. After a moment, he handed it back, "Coming right up."

As quickly as she could, she made her way back to the booth. When the waitress came back with her drink, she'd pay and leave.

The longer she waited, the more restless she became. Her fingers drummed on the table, eyes glancing back and forth from television to television. How long did it take to put rum in coke? It wasn't difficult, couldn't take more than a minute. And it certainly didn't take the nearly ten she'd been waiting on it for. Out of the corner of her eye she saw movement, the show already forgotten at her hopes of being able to leave.

Those hopes existed for less than a second. The hostess approached her booth, not only without her drink, but with Pyrrha in tow. The redhead slid into the bench across from her, sending her a quick smile.

"Is there anything I can get you two? Drinks, menus?"

"I ordered a rum and coke and I haven't gotten it yet," Ruby answered, not looking away from the other woman.

"I'll check on that," she turned to the taller woman, "Anything for you?"

"No, thank you."

"All right, I'll be right back with your drink."

She disappeared and neither of them said a word. Silver eyes scrutinized the other woman, taking in every detail of her face, her hair, her outfit, like it was the last time she'd see them. Pyrrha was just as beautiful as she had been the last time they'd seen each other two weeks ago.

"I think we've been set up," she joked halfheartedly.

"No kidding."

"You, uh," she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, "You look nice."

"You too," Ruby responded.

"I ehm," the redhead coughed into her hand, "I wanted to apologize, for breaking my promise. And for everything I did. I-I crossed a line you weren't comfortable with and then I hid from you like a coward rather than face the possibility of you being mad at me. I handled everything so poorly and I'm sorry. If you don't want to see me again I totally-"

"I'm not mad," the shorter woman interrupted, "If anyone went too far it was me. I was way too vague about everything and I should've given more of an explanation. I shouldn't have kissed you, that one was all me and I'm sorry that I've made you feel so bad about something that wasn't your fault. You were just trying to do something nice and I ruined it by freaking out and moving too fast."

"You don't owe me an explanation Ruby," Pyrrha told her, "If you want to go home, you're allowed to. Don't think for a second that you aren't allowed to leave. I'd hate to force you to do something you didn't want to simply because you thought you couldn't say no."

"Well then you shouldn't feel bad for kissing me," she countered, "You think you crossed a line, I think I crossed a line? I mean it sounds like we both wanted to, unless you didn't, which in that case-"

Pyrrha laughed and it made Ruby's stomach feel warm, "I did Ruby, don't worry."

"Oh," she smiled slightly, cheeks burning, "Then uh, that's good."

"Can we agree we both screwed up?" the redhead asked.

"Only if we can also agree to try and get drinks again," the shorter woman raised an eyebrow, eliciting another laugh that fed her smile.

"That sounds like a plan to me," the taller woman reached across the table, taking Ruby's hand, "Can we _also _also agree to kiss more?"

"I thought you'd never ask," Ruby quipped, causing Pyrrha to laugh again.

"One rum and coke," the waitress spoke up, sliding the drink in front of the shorter woman, "Will that be everything?"

"For now, thank you," she told the brunette, glancing to the woman across from her, "Unless you want something?"

"We're fine for now," Pyrrha reassured.

"I'll leave you to it then," she said before scurrying off to help another table. Ruby sipped her drink. The other woman looked at her fondly, smiling and shaking her head.

"What? she wiped her mouth on the sleeve of her jacket, "Is there something on my face?"

"No, it's just," she reached across the table, taking one of the shorter woman's hands in her own, "Wondering how I got so lucky to have a crush on someone like you."

"I could ask myself the same question," Ruby squeezed her hand.

"Rube?" a woman called out.

Her blood ran cold, the smile wiped from her face as she saw the other woman approaching. Mint hair, toned midriff, blood-red eyes. That bitch hanging off her arm. Not a doubt in her mind as to who it was

"It's so good to see you," the woman wrapped her in a one-armed hug, "It's been a while."

"It's good to see you too Em," she replied, "How're you two doing?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back real soon, which probably means it might be a while until the next chapter. Also, technically I broke 10,000 hits, that's brazy. 10,000 people have clicked on the things I've put on here and that blows my mind. Thanks to each and every person who's clicked on my stories. So thank y'all for reading, I really hope you enjoyed, have fun until I see y'all again and thanks again for your patience. Hopefully it won't be too long.
> 
> P.S Chapter Title is "Love Of My Life" by Queen


	7. Won't Get Fooled Again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look I know, it's a lot of words.

"Oh, can't complain much," Emerald smiled, slightly tired, "Work's been kicking my ass, but I've got Cinder to help me deal with anything it throws at me," her fingers traced lazily up and down the taller woman's arm, "I owe her everything for keeping me going these past few weeks."

"No kidding," Ruby responded, forcing a smile in return.

"What about you? How've you been holding up after," blood-red eyes looked away, "y'know?"

"I've been doing alright," she answered, sipping her drink, "You left your coffeemaker. And your alarm clock broke, by the way."

"I thought those were yours," Emerald laughed awkwardly, "If-if you want me to come get them, I can."

"It's fine," she shrugged, "It's not like they're taking up any space I'd be using anyways. If you want them back though, feel free to come by and take them."

"No, we're fine," Cinder spoke up and it took all of Ruby's will not to roll her eyes, "I'm sure whatever we've got at home works leagues better than whatever she left. Besides, I'm sure you could use anything you can get."

Her grip tightened around her drink, "How thoughtful of you," she replied, tone flooded with sarcasm.

"I'm sorry, I don't think we've met," Pyrrha interjected, the edge in her voice so fine Ruby could've missed it.

"Did Ruby not mention me?" the mint-haired woman's smile was nervous, "I'm Emerald, Ruby's ex-girlfriend. And this is-"

"Cinder Fall," the taller woman greeted coldly, amber eyes trained on the redhead, "And you are?"

"Pyrrha Nikos," emerald eyes met the gaze, glare unwavering, "Ruby's partner."

"Well," Cinder scoffed, clicking her tongue, "You'd think a five-year relationship would warrant at least a month's wait before moving on."

"Yeah you would. Which is why it's real weird that I saw you guys together less than a week later getting coffee," Ruby shot back, barely hiding the contempt in her voice, "Or at Neo's y'know, literally two days after that. But I'm sure you've done the mental gymnastics to put yourself on a pedestal."

"Is it wrong to want to comfort a friend after something like that?" she countered, exaggerated concern in her voice, "I'm sorry that you thought I was scavenging or making moves but I can assure you that all I wanted to do was make my friend feel better."

"Then what's this?" Pyrrha pointed to their intertwined arms, "Sure as hell seems more than friendly."

"What it is miss," amber eyes looked her up and down, "Nikos, was it, is none of your business."

"Then what the hell makes Ruby's decision any of yours?"

Ruby had to fight to keep the smirk off her lips. Seeing Cinder angry had always made her happy when she'd been with Emerald, and now that Pyrrha was the one causing it, that made the feeling that much sweeter.

"I'm gonna go get a drink," Emerald broke the tense silence, "Do you want anything?"

"No, thank you dear."

Sliding her arm away, the mint-haired woman disappeared across the room. Cinder shifted on her feet, continuing to stare down the redhead.

"What do you want anyways?" the shorter woman asked.

Amber eyes finally broke away from Pyrrha as she turned to face Ruby, "Want?" she chuckled, laughter devoid of emotion, "Ruby dear, I'll have you know that Emerald finally breaking things off with you to be with me was a godsend because I thought it meant I'd never have to interact with you again. She saw you and was concerned about you, so she dragged me over here. I hate this just as much as you do."

"What?" her voice cracked, her cool mask shattered, "S-she broke up with me just to be with-"

"Yes," Cinder drawled, checking her nails, "It took a  _ lot  _ of convincing. Years of subtle lines about this or that. She loved you,  _ really  _ loved you. For a time."

Emerald returned a moment later, pint in hand, "Sorry about that. Where were we?"

"Just leaving," the taller redhead told her curtly, leading Ruby out of the booth by her hand.

The mint-haired woman sent her partner a confused expression, "O-okay then. It was nice meeting you."

"I wish I could say the same," Pyrrha muttered as she guided the shorter woman out of the pub.

* * *

"Are you okay?" her voice was low, filled with concern as she gently brushed bangs from silver eyes and pressed a kiss to the shorter woman's forehead, "I'm sorry I didn't get you out of there earlier."

"You're fine," Ruby choked out a whisper, "I'm fine."

"No, you're not. Christ, the things she said back there are horrible Ruby," she pulled her into a tight embrace, "No wonder you didn't want to tell me about them."

"Yeah."

"Do you want to go home?" Ruby nodded against her, "Okay then, let's get you home."

Pyrrha was beyond angry, fury seething in her. Everything about the other woman seemed to exist to agitate. Her smug expression, the nonchalance with which she revealed that she destroyed a relationship, the arrogant air that rolled off her like a thick fog. Clouding her judgement, making her see red. In a way, Cinder reminded her of Weiss' father. The manipulative, haughty nature, how everyone else seemed to act second to her own desires.

"It seems we've gotten off on the wrong foot!"

Her teeth ground as the other woman called out behind her.

"Go wait in the car love," Pyrrha whispered in her ear, "I'll deal with her."

"No, she's here for me," she rested her forehead against the taller woman's shoulder, "She's not gonna leave until I say whatever she wants me to. Emerald needs to know she's infallible. I'll just say whatever she wants and get it over with."

"You can't just let her get away with what she did."

Heels clicked against the blacktop of the parking lot, growing louder with each step.

"Maybe some of us said things they didn't mean," she continued, arms wide, "It's not like we can't talk this out! We're all adults here!"

The redhead spun on her heel, keeping Ruby behind her, "Stay over there!"

Cinder stopped, her smirk disappearing for a second before she leaned on one foot, "Now what?"

"What do you want?"

The other woman placed a hand to her chest, feigning offense, "Why is it that you assume I  _ want  _ to be out here?"

"You didn't want to talk to us when your girlfriend dragged you over," Pyrrha countered, "Why would you come out here  _ alone  _ to talk to us?"

"Emerald thinks I said something-"

"She's right!"

Amber eyes leveled a quick scowl at her, "And she wanted me to apologize. So I'd just like to let Ruby know that I'm terribly sorry for whatever I said."

"You know damn well what you said," Ruby stepped beside the redhead, "and I know damn well that that apology's bullshit! So just go back inside and lie to Em like I know you're going to and leave us the hell alone!"

"You know what?" Cinder shrugged, turning to head back inside, "I'll take it!"

"Stay here Ruby," Pyrrha muttered, striding across the parking lot.

She caught Cinder before the other woman reached the door, spinning her around and grabbing her jacket. Her fists balled around the fabric as she lifted the other woman off the ground, "I'm going to repeat what Ruby said in case you didn't hear it. You're going to leave us alone. Not just for tonight, or a week, or a month. Forever," she growled, "And if she ever tells me that you bothered her, I swear to god I will find you and fold you like a god damn blanket. Am I clear?"

For a brief moment, she could swear there was a flicker of fear in those amber eyes. Swallowing nervously, Cinder nodded.

"You're going to go in there, you're going to say we'd already left, and that's where you're gonna drop it. Understood?"

"O-of course," the other woman's voice wavered slightly.

"Good," the redhead released her hold on the jacket, Cinder falling shakily to her feet. Sending a final cold glare, she stalked back over to Ruby.

"Let's go love," she took the shorter woman's hand, not even looking back at the bar.

The ride back to Ruby's apartment building was quiet, Pyrrha still seething with residual anger at Cinder. Ruby fidgeted with the hem of her jacket, eyes locked on her hands. Eventually the car pulled to a stop by the curb, the hushed hum of the engine cut off as the taller woman turned the key.

"What did you do?" Ruby asked softly after a moment.

"She's not gonna bother you anymore," Pyrrha muttered back, "At least she'd better not."

"Are you kidding? She knows where I live. I didn't talk to Roman about getting the locks changed. Em's got a spare key," the shorter woman's breathing began to speed up, "W-what if she comes in while I'm sleeping, or when I'm in the shower or something?"

"Why would she do something like that over something as petty as an argument?"

"Because she's a vindictive bitch and she's petty enough to try it! I always tried to keep Em away from her because I had a bad feeling, and after the time she attacked Roman over a noise complaint I wouldn't put it past her!" Ruby was breathing rapidly, hand running in and out of her hair, "I mean I could probably take her if she tried anything but if she gets the jump on me o-or if she brings something I don't-"

"Ruby, look at me," Pyrrha cupped the younger woman's chin in her hand, turning the younger woman's head to face her, "Nothing's going to happen to you. I caused this, she's gonna want to go after me. And I promise you that I'm not gonna let her get to you."

"Then stay with me," her voice was soft again, "Stay with me so I know nothing happens to you."

"If that's what you want, then I'll do it."

* * *

"Sorry if the place is a bit of a mess," Ruby told her, pushing open the door, "I haven't really been doing great these past couple weeks and didn't expect to have anyone over."

"You're fine," she laughed softly, "I'm sure the last few weeks have been hard on us both."

She stepped inside, the door clicking shut behind her. It wasn't as bad as Ruby likely thought it seemed. The apartment was certainly in better shape than her own room. A few dirty dishes here and there, coats and shirts scattered along the path from the front door to the younger woman's bedroom. Otherwise, the place was practically clean.

"Did you have anything to eat before you got there?" Ruby asked her, grabbing a few plates from the table, "I didn't get anything to eat so I'm gonna make some dinner if you want anything."

Pyrrha's stomach grumbled, a faint blush dusting her cheeks, "I haven't had anything to eat today since lunch, so I'd love some dinner."

She nodded, setting the plates in the sink, "Is there anything you want?"

"What would  _ you  _ like?" the redhead countered, "It's your house."

"Exactly," Ruby made her way over to Pyrrha, "which makes  _ you  _ ," she tapped the taller woman's nose with her finger, "my guest. And, as my guest, you get to pick. So, what'll it be?" she held her arms out, "Chef Ruby can cook anything under the sun so long as it's got instructions on the back and doesn't require a grill!"

"Oh? Is that so?" emerald eyes sent her a sly look, " _ Anything  _ ?"

"We aim to please in any way we can!" Ruby answered, "So long as it falls within our realm of possibility, of course."

"Well, what do you have?"

"Not a lot," the shorter woman admitted sheepishly, "I've been surviving on leftovers from when Yang and Blake come over for longer than I'd care to admit. Em usually did the shopping and I haven't really found the time to recently. All I've really got is basic stuff."

Pyrrha cocked an eyebrow, "Basic stuff like?"

"Uh, dinosaur chicken nuggets," the redhead struggled to keep her expression neutral, "I've got boxed mac n' cheese, frozen burritos, some cookies. Oh, I'm pretty sure I've got a box of jello!"

"Truly the forefront of fine dining."

"I said I didn't have much!" Ruby protested indignantly, crossing her arms and shooting the taller woman a pout, "If you want we can just order takeout or something-"

"No, no, no Ruby," Pyrrha wrapped her in a hug, pulling her close, "it's fine. I just, I wasn't expecting such a," she blanked, searching for the right word, " _ unique  _ menu."

"You're doing it again," the younger woman whined into her chest, "Stop it."

"Doing what?"

"Making fun of me," she grumbled, nuzzling further against her.

"I'm not trying to make fun of you," Pyrrha insisted, hand running through the shorter woman's hair, "I just didn't expect things like dinosaur chicken nuggets and frozen burritos to be considered basics."

"Well you should," the shorter woman sent the redhead a final look before heading back into the kitchen, "Do you want me to keep looking?"

"While I normally wouldn't be opposed to a good plate of dino nuggets," she fell into a seat at the counter, "they don't really seem to fit the mood."

"So is it more of a mac 'n cheese night?" Ruby asked hopefully, holding up a box.

"Closer. It's certainly on the right track."

"How about spaghetti?" she pulled another box out of the cupboard, rattling it, "I'm pretty sure I've got a jar of sauce in the fridge. There's a bottle of Merlot we can get into, a nice big couch."

Pyrrha hummed in agreement, "That sounds grand. Do you want me to help? I'd hate to have you do all the work for me."

"Nope!" Ruby sang, grabbing a large pot out from a lower cupboard, "You just sit there and look cute. I've got this."

"Are you sure?" she started to get up, "Because I can-"

"Pyrrha," the shorter woman leveled a playful look at her, serious tone hidden within it, "It's fine. You've done  _ more  _ than enough for me tonight. Let me do something for you."

Once she'd filled the pot with water, Ruby set it on the stove to boil. She placed the wine in the fridge to chill while they waited, emerald eyes trained on her as she moved around the kitchen.

She seemed to know what she was doing, stepping this way and that with authority. Like she'd done this a thousand times before, which was entirely possible. But even in her simplest of actions-grabbing a cup, turning a dial-there was a grace to them she couldn't quite explain. And that in and of itself was incredible. That Ruby could take something as simple as boiling water and make it something Pyrrha couldn't take her eyes off of.

"What?" silver eyes glanced up at her from the pot, fighting a smile as she poured the dry noodles into the now-boiling water, "What're you looking at?"

"Oh, you know just," she sighed, smiling, "something beautiful."

The shorter woman muttered something she couldn't hear, color rising to her cheeks as her eyes shot back to the boiling water.

It didn't take long for the rest of the dinner to come together. Once the noodles were finished Ruby killed the burner and strained them out, pouring the sauce from her fridge into the still-warm pot. She grabbed the Merlot, pouring each of them a glass before plating up the spaghetti and slathering her own plate with sauce.

"How much you want?" she asked, ladle full of tomato paste inches from a pile of pasta, "I've got more than enough."

"One scoop should be fine," the redhead responded, swirling her glass, "I don't want it to drown."

* * *

"How do you think it's going?" Blake wondered, head resting against the blonde's shoulders, "Do you think they're together yet?"

Yang barked out a laugh, tilting her own head to lay on her girlfriend's, "Definitely. Rubes would've called us by now if she hadn't shown up."

They'd settled on the couch, a few glasses of wine in following a particularly long workday. Yang had been nervous on how the plan they'd formed would play out, especially given how short notice it was. If Ruby left before Pyrrha could show up, provided Pyrrha showed up at all. How they would react to each other after what had happened two weeks ago with all the time they'd been given to react to it. Whether or not Pyrrha's friend had been telling the truth.

After she convinced Ruby to wait and then didn't hear anything though, she had a pretty good feeling she knew what had happened.

"That's good," the shorter woman breathed, "They'll be good together."

"Hopefully. She's definitely better than Emerald," she sipped her drink, "Not like that's exactly a high bar."

"No kidding," Blake scrunched her nose, "Her friends were the worst."

Yang finished the wine in her glass, nudging the other woman's head with her shoulder, "I've gotta go refill. Wanna come?"

The raven-haired woman sat up, "I suppose I could go for another glass."

Standing, the blonde offered a hand, "Nuh-uh. Not until you finish what you've got. You need to open tomorrow, and I can't stick Rubes with a hungover Blake."

Her girlfriend took the hand, pulled to her feet, "Who says I'll be hungover?"

"The fact that that'll be your third glass tonight," she snorted, "In fact, I'm cutting you off."

"No!" she whined as Yang dragged her to the kitchen, "That's not fair and you know it!"

"It's more than fair," the blonde told her, setting her empty glass on the counter, "The fact of the matter is that I  _ don't  _ have to be up early tomorrow and you do. Which means you go dry first."

Blake knocked back the last of her wine, setting the glass in the sink, "Yeah, yeah. You and your logic."

She laughed again, pulling her phone from her pocket, "I'm sorry that it doesn't work out in your favor this time around. There have been plenty of times when you've done the same bullshit."

"That doesn't mean you have to do it," the shorter woman grumbled, leaning against the counter.

"Oh c'mon. Don't get like that," Blake stuck her tongue out, "Now that's just rude."

"Yeah well," she blew a raspberry, "Tough nuts."

"Oh my god," she laughed, setting her phone on the counter next to her glass. Music filled the kitchen, crooning from bluetooth speakers, "You are such a child."

"And you're a buzzkill," she shot back, no malice in her voice, "Like literally. You're killing my buzz."

"Well if I didn't do it now," Yang sashayed across the kitchen to her partner, "You'd wake up tomorrow complaining about how I didn't stop you. I don't get to win here."

"Maybe the game's rigged," the shorter woman murmured, leaning onto her partner, "Maybe I don't  _ want _ you to win because it means you'll have to make up for it later."

"If that were the case," the blonde wrapped her arms around Blake's waist, spinning them around, "then I'd probably just stop trying."

Her eyes slid closed, hooking an arm around Yang's neck, "You can't just quit because you're not winning," she grumbled, "That defeats the purpose."

"So does rigging it against me," she laughed softly, both women swaying slowly together, "You can't just  _ change the rules _ whenever you feel like it so I lose."

"Yes I can. That's how it works."

"Well that hardly seems fair."

Blake hummed, nuzzling into the crook of Yang's neck, "Never said it was."

She laughed again, continuing their lazy dance to whatever song she'd queued up. One of her hands came up from Blake's waist, combing through waves of raven hair. Smiling, her other hand pulled her girlfriend a little closer. This was nice. This was the kind of night she'd wanted to have two weeks ago when Ruby sent her that text. This was the kind of night she hoped her sister was having.

* * *

"Thank you again for dinner love," Pyrrha spoke softly, planting a kiss on the crown of Ruby's head, "It was terrific."

After dinner they sprawled across the couch, the younger woman lying on top of her guest. There hadn't been much wine left in the bottle when they opened it, and it was certainly empty now. What little sunlight had been present disappeared quickly, the sky outside an inky blue-black dotted with stars. Ruby never really had to cook for Emerald, the other woman always fine with going out to eat or ordering delivery. It felt good to _make _dinner again and not just reheat it.

"No problem," the shorter woman squeezed her hand, "I'm glad you liked it."

"Where'd you learn to cook?" she asked, fingers absentmindedly running through Ruby's hair, "If you don't mind me asking."

"No, you're fine," Ruby shifted a little, "You might wanna get comfortable though."

"I'm plenty comfortable darling," she reassured, "Take all the time you need."

"Okay," she released a deep breath, "You might've noticed that Yang and I don't really look alike."

"I wasn't going to say anything until you felt comfortable," Pyrrha admitted, "but yes, the relation isn't exactly obvious."

"That's because we're technically half-sisters. We've got the same dad but different moms," she paused a moment, "Yang's mom left after she was born. She was in with some pretty sketchy people so she didn't want to bring that into her family life. Which meant that at the first sign of threat, she left my dad and Yang behind. No warning, so that way they'd be safer. That's around when my mom met my dad."

The redhead remained silent, continuing the constant touch of her fingers through hair.

"For a while everything was perfect," Ruby continued, "There was Yang and me and our parents. Dad was working a lot so mom took care of us because we were both still super young. And it was great, she was like the mom every kid wants. Cookies, hugs, blanket forts. The whole shebang."

The shorter woman sniffled. Pyrrha moved one hand to wrap around her stomach, clutching her tighter, "Until the day she didn't come home."

The younger woman wiped her eyes, "Our uncle came over super early in the morning, I remember because he woke me up when he stubbed his toe on something and yelled really loud. I heard the car start, heard them drive off but I stayed in bed. I couldn't go back to sleep 'cause I didn't know why they'd left or why he was here. Eventually he came into my room, sat on my bed. I wouldn't look at him," she chuckled sadly, "I stayed rolled over, looking out the window. He told me mom was sick, really sick. So sick she might not get better. And that even if she didn't get better, that she still loved me a whole lot."

"I'm sorry sweetheart," the taller woman's eyes were watery as she pressed kiss after kiss to the top of Ruby's head, "I'm so,  _ so  _ sorry."

"She didn't get better," Ruby's voice was soft, just above a whisper and filled with pain, "No matter what they did, she just kept getting worse and  _ worse _ . And then one day there wasn't any worse to get."

"Oh honey," Pyrrha pulled her as close as she could, "I'm so sorry."

"After dad came home without her he just kinda shut down. Our uncle stayed with us for a little bit, but eventually he had to go back to work. Yang kinda took over parenting for a couple years. She did everything mom did, the cooking, cleaning, all of it," she let out another, shakier breath, "It took dad a few years to really come back to us. He'd lost two different people for two reasons completely beyond his control within years of each other. Mom's death hit him like a bat with nails in it; hard and fast and it didn't really heal right."

Pyrrha laughed, cheeks turning red with embarrassment, "I'm sorry, I just wasn't expecting that."

"That's how Yang likes to describe it. Says it lightens the mood."

"I suppose."

"Anyways, once dad was up and running again he told us he was gonna teach us how to cook. Or at least, how to remember how to cook because what he did was have us go through mom's cookbook until we could do each recipe with our eyes closed."

"So what'd you make for me tonight?"

"A crude version of how my mom made spaghetti," Ruby told her, "I didn't have all the ingredients or even most of the substitutes so it's pretty bare-bones compared to the actual thing in the book."

"Regardless, thank you for it," she pressed another kiss to the top of Ruby's head, "And thank you for sharing all that with me, I know it must be hard for you."

"Well thank you for listening," the shorter woman shifted again, sinking further against her, "I know that's probably a whole lot but thank you for hearing it."

"Of course. You can tell me anything."

"Thank you," Ruby let out a loud yawn.

"Why don't we head to bed love?" Pyrrha suggested, "You've had a long day."

"That sounds nice," she mumbled sleepily.

The redhead tapped her on the shoulder, "Sit up for me for a second."

Groaning, the younger woman reluctantly leaned forward. Pyrrha swung her legs out off the couch, twisting so Ruby sat on her lap. One hand moved to the small of her back, the other catching under her knees. She lifted the shorter woman with her as she stood, carrying her into the bedroom and setting her on the bed.

"Alright," she clapped her hands, "go get ready for bed."

"I will," Ruby whined, "I'm comfy."

"Come on, come on, come on," the taller woman started pulling her to the edge of the bed, getting much more of a fight than she expected, "The sooner you get  _ ready _ for bed, the sooner you can get back  _ in _ bed and not have me nagging you about it, so come on. Up!"

" _ Okay _ , okay. I'm up," she rolled off the bed and onto her feet, eyes still closed, "If you want Yang's got some stuff in the guest room you can wear."

"I don't know if it would fit. I'm a fair bit taller than her," she brought a hand to the back of her neck, "Even if she's, y'know."

"Nah," Ruby began to shuffle to the bathroom, pajamas in hand, "She buys her shirts like two sizes too big," her head tilted as she yawned again, "I'm sure you'll be fine."

"I'll check them out," Pyrrha acquiesced, stepping out of the room, "Let me know when you're ready for bed."

The shorter woman sent a thumbs up over her shoulder. Pyrrha walked to the guest room, closing the door behind herself. After finding some clothes that fit comfortably, she changed into them and sent a quick message to Weiss.

Who promptly decided to respond with a phone call.

"And just when did you plan on telling me you weren't coming home tonight?" she asked, trying to sound irritated.

"About the same time you planned on telling me you set me up," the redhead responded, holding the phone to her ear with her shoulder as she folded her clothes.

"Fair," her roommate responded, "That's fair."

"That's what I thought," she couldn't fight the smile on her lips, "How's the dinner?"

"I'd rather pull my nails off than stay here another minute," she groaned, "It's like a company lunch but  _ worse  _ ."

Pyrrha giggled, "Stay strong. I know you can do it. Just however many minutes until you can leave."

"I'll be in bed," Ruby called, knocking softly a few times, "Come in whenever you're ready."

"I should be there in a second love," she called back, grabbing and covering her phone with her hand.

"Well," Weiss sighed as she brought the phone back to her ear, "I'll let you go, I should probably get back out there anyways. I'm happy things worked out for you."

"Don't act like you didn't help. None of this would've happened without you," Pyrrha tucked her folded clothes under her arm, "Thank you Weiss, I owe you one."

"Anytime," she could hear her friend's smile, "Good night Pyr."

"Good night."

Ruby was already thoroughly entrenched under the covers, settled close to the broken alarm clock. Setting her clothes on the dresser, she climbed into the other side of the bed. The shorter woman instinctively moved closer to her as she laid down, snuggling against her. Pyrrha wrapped an arm around her middle, pulling her close.

"Are you comfortable?"

Ruby hummed contentedly, smiling.

"Good night love," the redhead whispered, placing a kiss on the crown of the younger woman's head.

"Night," she replied dreamily, seeming to already be slipping off to sleep.

* * *

"Pyrrha," Ruby kept her voice low, "Pyrrha please."

The sun was creeping up, she could see the light beginning to crawl through the windows across her apartment. She supposed she was lucky she didn't have any windows in her bedroom, giving her a freedom of movement some people didn't have. But when the alarm clock she used didn't have the full time and she couldn't reach her phone, it certainly made it harder for her to tell how close she was to being late for work.

What had started as a simple hold turned into a tangle of limbs overnight. The taller woman's hair spilled across her bed, covering both pillows in addition to most of Pyrrha's face. Her arms and legs wrapped around Ruby in ways that probably weren't as comfortable when she was awake. Emerald had never been big on cuddling, holding her close or anything like that. There were certain times where they'd hold each other, or where Ruby would hold Emerald. Those times were mostly to cope with her nightmares and to avoid going outside at two in the morning because of how cold it was.

"Pyrrha," she whined a little louder, eyes darting back to what she could read on the clock, "I have to go to work soon."

"Hmm?" emerald eyes blinked open slowly, "Oh, good morning love."

"Morning," Ruby shimmied a little closer, "Look, as much as I love this, I've got to open today. So if you could..." she trailed off, wiggling a little for emphasis.

"Oh. Oh, of course," Pyrrha released the younger woman, sitting up, "I think I'll go home and get changed soon, freshen up a bit and come back to get a cup of coffee. Maybe finally fulfill my promise of seeing you play?"

"That might not work," she admitted, grabbing clean clothes from the dresser, "It depends on how busy we are. If there aren't a lot of people then yeah, whichever one of them is working with me today should be able to handle it. But if it's more busy then I'll have to help."

"Who's supposed to work with you today?" the redhead asked.

"Well it  _ was  _ Blake. But yesterday Yang said she wasn't feeling great when she said she couldn't come out so I don't know at this point."

"I see," Pyrrha slid out of bed, stretching briefly before grabbing her clothes off the dresser, "Either way, I'll be seeing you again in a little bit."

She snaked an arm around the shorter woman, pulling her into a side hug while planting a kiss on her cheek before leaving the bedroom. Heat rose to her cheeks, one of her hands coming to graze the spot.

Ruby got ready for the day as quickly as she could, leaving her room the same time Pyrrha left the guest room. Racing over, she wrapped the taller woman in a hug.

"I've gotta go, but I'll see you there in a little bit," the shorter woman craned upward, locking their lips together for a brief moment, "The keys are on the counter, so just remember to lock the door when you leave. You can bring 'em to me at work."

"I can go now if you'd like," Pyrrha told her, "If it'll make things easier for you."

"Nah, you're fine," she was already making her way to the door, "Feel free to make yourself some breakfast. I would but Blake gets whiny if I'm not there to help her open."

"Don't worry about it," the taller woman sat down at the counter, "I can make a list of things to get the next time you go shopping if you'd like."

"Would you?" silver eyes looked up from the shoes they were trained on, "That'd be amazing."

"I'll do my best. You can double check it when you get back. How does that sound."

"Incredible," Ruby shot back over to the counter, giving Pyrrha a slightly longer kiss, " _ You  _ are incredible."

"I try," the redhead responded, "I'm nothing next to you though, love."

"Okay you can't keep talking like that because if I have to keep going back over there to kiss you I'm gonna be late."

Pyrrha giggled, "Why don't I come to you?"

"I'll be even more late," she replied, grabbing her case, "I'll see you down there."

"Goodbye love."

Ruby disappeared out the door, a  _ thud  _ echoing throughout the apartment a few seconds later. It was only after the shorter woman left that she realized how much she'd been smiling. The dopey and love-struck look she must have had and how Ruby hadn't said a thing about it.

* * *

"Sleep well last night?" Blake asked, smirking.

"I did, thank you very much," Ruby stuck her tongue out, unlocking the front door to the shop, "Glad to see you're feeling better."

"Oh yeah. Twenty-four hour bug y'know?"

"Uh huh," she replied dryly, flicking on the lights.

The shop always seemed weird when she opened. Not entirely dark but far from light, more dim. Like the building was still waking up. It was a place she could be vulnerable with Blake and Yang and Maria before putting on her work face. The chairs on their tables let her know she didn't have to be ready to face the world yet, that she still had time to do things for herself to get ready for the day.

"How was the place by the way? Yang and I didn't get to stay very long the last time we went."

"Pyrrha was there, so we talked."

"Ooh, fun!" the raven-haired woman fell into a booth, "Anything happen?"

"We talked things out, which felt nice. Then Em and Cinder showed up which was about as enjoyable as you'd imagine. When Pyrrha said we were leaving, Cinder chased us out into the parking lot because Em thought she'd said something," Blake raised an eyebrow, "I mean, she did but for me the faster I can get her out of my life the better so I was fine with just saying what she wanted to hear and leaving it at that."

"But?"

"But," Ruby continued, "Pyrrha wasn't. I don't know what she did but she did something so she spent the night at my place last night because it's Cinder and she's crazy."

"She spent the night, did she?" the taller woman's eyebrows wiggled in a way all-too reminiscent of her sister. Silver eyes glared at her, "Anything happen?"

"Nothing past shitty spaghetti, a couple glasses of Merlot, and spilling my guts about my dead mom."

"Oh," Blake's smile fell, "How'd she take it?"

"Supportive as always," she sighed, sliding into the opposite bench, "It felt pretty nice, telling her about it now before she met dad. After that we just went to bed."

"I see," Blake nodded, fingers tented in front of her, "So why were you almost late this morning?"

"She latched on to me pretty good while we were asleep," Ruby admitted sheepishly, "And then we were both a little cuddly once we got out of bed."

"You're sure nothing happened?"

"Nothing like that!" her cheeks darkened, "Just like, hugs a-and stuff! Little things."

"Okay, I gotcha," she reached across the table, taking one of Ruby's hands in her own, "Yang and I are really happy for you guys."

"Y-yeah well it wouldn't have happened without you guys interfering so," she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear with her free hand, "thanks. A lot."

"No problem," Blake squeezed the other woman's hand, "We're just glad you're happy."

* * *

It didn't take her very long to go through the other woman's kitchen. Ruby hadn't been kidding when she said she didn't have much. The list itself wasn't terribly long, at least from what she thought Ruby would need. Still, there were a few things that made her wonder how the other woman was managing. Of course it wasn't like she was in a position to judge. Sharing an apartment with the CEO of one of the largest companies on the planet usually meant she didn't have to worry about grocery shopping.

A knock echoed throughout the apartment. Sliding her phone into her pocket, she closed the fridge and made her way to the door. She shot a quick glance through the peephole, the sight of mint-green hair setting her anger on simmer.

"Hi Emerald," Pyrrha plastered on a fake smile, "Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Is Ruby here?" the shorter woman asked, seemingly irritated, "I've got to talk to her about something."

"She's at work at the moment, but you can say whatever you need to with me and I can pass the message along."

Emerald seemed to think for a moment, "Yeah, I guess this isn't really her fault so much as it is yours anyways."

Her smile vanished briefly, returning a second later, "I-I'm not sure what you're talking about. Why don't you come in and we can really discuss this."

"Oh bull_shit _you don't know what I'm talking about," she snarled, pushing past the taller woman and into the apartment, "It happened _yesterday_."

"If this is about us leaving early," the redhead slid the door closed, turning to face the other woman, "Ruby wasn't feeling very well. She'd been at work all day and told me she felt tired."

"Uh huh," Emerald whirled on her feet, "And when Cinder went outside to try and apologize and you _attacked her_? That was because Ruby was feeling tired?"

"That was because of the absolutely abhorrent things she said to Ruby."

"She didn't say a goddamned thing to Ruby!"

"Please," Pyrrha scoffed, "You're going to tell me that the woman who said she _orchestrated _the ending of a long-term relationship is innocent? That the woman who said _to her face_ that she'd hoped to never see her again after you two broke up is innocent? That the woman who didn't even _try _to sincerely apologize for what she'd said is innocent?"

"Cinder didn't say those things," the shorter woman muttered, "She wouldn't say something like that, especially not to someone like Ruby."

"She did. I was _there. _And the only reason I did what I did is to make sure she won't do them again," she took a step towards Emerald, "I'm sorry that things escalated in the way they did, but you have to understand how disgusting it is to see something like that happen to someone you care about. I'd think that as someone else who cared about Ruby the way I do for _a lot _longer than I have, you'd get it."

"Why would Cinder even say something like that?"

"I don't know. That's a question you should be asking her, not me. I don't know her like you do. All I do know is what she said."

"What'd she say then?" Emerald demanded, "You were there, what'd she say?"

Pyrrha recounted their interaction when the mint-haired woman had gone to get her drink. The confrontation in the parking lot. She watched the anger fade from the blood-red eyes,  "If you want, we can go talk to Ruby about it. She'll back me up."

"Lead the way."

* * *

"Ruby!" Blake called, "You've got visitors!"

She shot out from the kitchen, racing to the counter. Pyrrha had walked in, Emerald in tow. The taller woman seemed angry about something while her ex was more frustrated than anything else.

"Rube," blood-red eyes met her gaze, swimming with a mix of emotions, "Is what she said true? About Cinder and everything?"

Laughing awkwardly, she brought a hand to the back of her neck, "I don't know, what has she told you?"

"Last night, in the pub. Did," Emerald swallowed nervously, "did she say she caused our breakup?"

"Yeah," Ruby replied softly, "She did."

"Did she say she'd hoped she'd never see you again?"

Ruby nodded, "Yeah."

"And i-in the parking lot? Did she try and apologize?"

"No. Not at all."

"Okay. I've got to go talk to her. But thank you both. For," she clenched her hand into a fist, "for what you've told me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's a really long chapter, but I had a vision in mind of where I wanted it to end and I didn't want to call it early because then it'd feel incomplete. So I kept going until I got to where I wanted, and I hope that makes the story better. I don't know when the next chapter will be up but whenever that it, it should be shorter than this one. As always, especially this time around, thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed, and have a good time until I see y'all again.
> 
> P.S Chapter is "Won't Get Fooled Again" by The Who


	8. Can't You Hear Me Knocking

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to wish a happy first birthday to this story if that's alright

Not long after Emerald left Pyrrha followed suit. Handing Ruby her key and giving her a quick kiss, she disappeared out of the otherwise empty coffee shop. They hadn't even been open for ten minutes yet which meant there wouldn't be any customers for at least thirty. Blake had disappeared into the back to run inventory while there weren't any drinks to make, leaving Ruby out front and alone with her thoughts.

Silently, she hoped that Cinder cared more about Emerald than to resort to her usual tactics. That she cared enough to know when it was time to cut the bullshit and come clean about something like what had happened yesterday. Even when she tried to think about something like that though, it was hard to stay optimistic. Odds were that the older woman would drop Emerald like a hot rock without a care in the world and continue living her life the way she did: selfishly.

The more realistic part of her simply hoped that things wouldn't get messy. Cinder was a little more detached from reality than people usually were, sure, but she wasn't the type to fight a partner over accusations of lying. Sure, she'd fought someone she didn't know because they'd told her to turn the music down at two in the morning. She'd also drank enough to put a sailor under the table for a couple days, so whatever thin thread she had keeping her sensible had been pulled incredibly taught.

It wasn't like she did much damage to Roman, now that Ruby thought about it. Mostly scratches on his arm, there had been a couple good slaps across the face but nothing that wouldn't heal by going to sleep. The real miracle was not only that Roman didn't evict them on the spot, but also that he'd kept his cool the entire time. From what she could remember, she'd had her fair share at that point as well, he never hit her back or anything like that. Most likely because he knew it wouldn't make him look good if something went to court if he had.

"Anybody here yet?" Blake pushed open the door to her left, causing her to jump a little, "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you."

"No I was just thinking about how Cinder's gonna take whatever Em says to her."

"Hopefully not the same way she took being asked to turn down the music," the raven-haired woman answered with a small laugh, "I'd hate to see her body get fished out of the harbor."

"No kidding," she moved back to the machines away from the counter, testing a few functions, "Good on Roman for sitting back and taking it though."

"_And _for not immediately kicking you out," Blake leaned on the counter, "Like, that's probably the nicest thing he's ever done for anyone."

"I mean, I think the thing he's doing for me right now would be a really great thing to do for someone," Ruby admitted, "Talking with a different landlord about getting a tenant a place to stay because you have to kick them out is legitimately generous, in a situation where they actually need to change buildings."

"His heart's in the right place at least," the taller woman offered.

"Yeah well so's my apartment."

* * *

Pyrrha rested her shoulder against the side of the elevator, silently watching the number climb one floor at a time.

Last night was nice. Emotionally draining at times, but the good certainly outweighed the bad. Making Ruby feel happy, feel safe, certainly made it all worth it. Now all she had to do was make it to her bathroom without getting stopped by her roommate for a game of twenty questions so she could finally shower.

She turned the key as slowly as she could, trying to avoid the loud _ click _she was sure Weiss would be able to hear. How in the world her hearing was so good was still a mystery after all these years. That woman could hear her drop a thumbtack from three rooms away and know where it landed like she'd seen it happen. Every time she'd tried to sneak into their apartment before today had gone utterly terrible, so her hopes weren't exactly high. Even when she did everything right, somehow the other woman just knew where to catch her.

As quietly as she could, Pyrrha shut the door behind herself. She couldn't see Weiss from the door, which was already a good sign. The worst thing would've been going through all the care she'd gone through to get the door open only to walk in and end up face-to-face with her roommate.

She slipped her shoes off, tiptoeing down the hallway to the bathroom next to her bedroom. All she had to do was make it this last few feet and she was home free.

"Don't think we aren't talking about everything!" Weiss called from the kitchen, "I just want you to shower first because I _ don't _know what you two did last night!"

Pyrrha sighed, "When did you hear me?"

The white-haired woman scoffed, "Please, with the way you were stomping down the hallway? I heard you as soon as you got off the elevator."

"I know you've got like near-superhuman hearing and everything, but that's bullshit."

"Okay so maybe I exaggerated a _ little _," her roommate admitted, "But the point is I heard you before you even got in the door."

"Thanks for letting me believe!" she yelled back as she slid the bathroom door closed, flicking on the lights and fan.

Getting clean didn't take her very long. She knew the longer she made Weiss wait, the more questions she would have to answer. Which wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but she wasn't willing to take her chances. In and out of the shower as fast as possible, dried off and changed in record time.

"That didn't take long," blue eyes scanned her skeptically. She'd moved from the kitchen, sitting on the far end of the couch, steaming mug on an end table next to her, "You going somewhere?"

"Not until you've bothered me," Pyrrha answered, falling onto the couch, "I know you've got questions."

"Well duh I've got questions," Weiss rolled her eyes, "It's a hell of a thing to drop on me while I'm out with the biggest assholes I know."

"Even though you planned it," the redhead replied dryly.

"I wasn't alone in planning it, I'll have you know," she crossed her arms, "I had help."

"You're gonna sit there and tell me that you couldn't come up with ditching me at a pub with the girl I've told you about on your own?"

"Not when I don't have a way to contact the girl you've told me about, no," Weiss stated, "I went down to where you'd said she worked and told her sister about how miserable you were here after everything that happened a few weeks ago."

"So you went down there, talked to Yang and set this up in like a day?"

"More like an hour," she snorted, "I barely had to do any work. She had a location, a time, excuse to not go, everything. All I had to do was set you up."

"I'm shocked," the taller woman placed a hand to her chest, "Weiss Schnee had _ someone else _do the work? Are you feeling alright? Do you have a fever?" Pyrrha lunged across the couch, placing a hand to the shorter woman's forehead, "You're burning up! We need to get you to the hospital, you're terribly ill."

"You dolt would you," she grunted, fighting a smile while attempting to push her roommate away, "get _ off _of me!"

"I knew it, you're so weak!" Pyrrha pulled Weiss into a tight hug, "You poor thing, you must be clinging to life!"

"The longer you spend bullying me, the more questions I'm gonna ask. And the more questions I ask, the less time you get to spend with your girlfriend."

"Ugh, fine," the redhead lamented, releasing her and resettling on the other end of the couch, "You're no fun, you know that?"

"You've said so before," Weiss pretended to dust herself off, "What all did you two do after you got there?"

"We talked things out about what happened, you were right _ as always _. Things got a little rough after that but then we went home. Ruby made me some spaghetti, we had some wine and cuddled on the couch for a little before going to bed."

Her roommate quirked an eyebrow, "What happened in the middle?"

"Ruby's ex and her new girlfriend showed up. Her ex's new girlfriend said some pretty shitty things and that kinda put a damper on the mood," she shifted on the couch, "Then, because I decided Ruby shouldn't just have to sit there and listen to her, we left. She followed us into the parking lot because Ruby's ex thought she said something. Which she did, but it wasn't like she was gonna admit that. Ruby told her to piss off and I just y'know," emerald eyes broke eye contact, flitting downward, "made sure she understood."

"And that entails?"

"Nothing bad!" Pyrrha protested, "I didn't like, hit her or anything. Just kinda said I would if I saw her near Ruby again. Shook her around a little."

"As long as I don't have to spend money on lawyers I don't really care what you did," Weiss raised her hands in defense, "If you say she's a bitch, she's a bitch and I'm not gonna fault you for defending your girlfriend. Who I still need to meet, might I add."

"You had the chance to when you went down there yesterday!"

"Her sister was incredibly intimidating!"

"No arguing there," Pyrrha agreed.

"Yeah," the white-haired woman sat up a little, a devious glint in her eyes, "You get any last night?"

"Weiss Schnee!" she could feel her cheeks go red, "I-I can't believe-"

"That's a no," the shorter woman stood, cackling. Pyrrha made an offended noise behind her.

"And what makes you say that?"

"Because the lady doth protest too much," Weiss responded from the kitchen, "When you have you go quiet."

Pyrrha opened and closed her mouth several times, trying to come up with a retort. Despite the wall between them, she could still see the smirk on her roommate's face. They'd known each other for too long.

"That's what I thought."

"Are you done interrogating me about what may or may not have happened last night?" she asked indignantly, "When was the last time _ you _got laid anyways?"

"First of all, it still didn't happen," her roommate made her way back to the couching, waving her hand dismissively, "Second, why don't you get out of here. I've bothered you enough for now."

"Are you sure you don't have any more questions?"

"I said for now," her roommate sipped her tea again, "I'm really happy for you Pyr."

"Thanks Weiss," she stood, "I'm sure we'll find someone for you."

"No thank you," the shorter woman responded, "I've got you dolt. There's enough hopeless romanticism for the both of us."

"If you say so."

"Will you be coming back tonight?" she asked as Pyrrha reached for the doorknob, smirk back on her lips, "Or can I assume I'll have the house to myself?"

"I'll text you," she called, racing out the door.

Weiss shook her head, "Kids in love these days."

* * *

"Hey Ruby, she's back!"

She peaked out from behind a machine. Pyrrha sent her a wave, smiling. Blake moved past her, patting her on the shoulder.

"Go get 'er champ."

The shorter woman felt her cheeks heat slightly, quickly stepping to the counter, "Hello. Is there anything I can get for you today?"

"Yes, I was wondering if I could get two hot chocolates," Pyrrha smirked, "Maybe a cute barista to share them with?"

"I suppose we can make that happen."

"Well then," she slid a bill across the counter, "you know where to find me."

The redhead winked, walking away from the counter. She quickly threw the drinks together, scribbling something down to mark Pyrrha's cup. After properly flavoring her own, she dipped her head into the back room.

"I'm going to-"

"Just go Ruby," Blake interrupted, chuckling, "I know what's happening. Unless things get really busy _ here _or between the two of you, I'm sure I'll be fine."

"Thanks Blake!" she called, already pushing through one of the doors, "Watch the front for me!"

"Because if there's one thing we don't want around here it's people not doing their jobs!"

The shorter woman laughed, sliding into the booth across from Pyrrha, "Hi."

Pyrrha giggled, "Hello Ruby."

"Here's uh," she checked the cups, sliding the marked one across the table, "Here's your drink."

"Thank you," the taller woman sipped it, "I really enjoyed last night. Minus all the incidents, of course."

"Me too," Ruby ran her finger around the lid of her drink, "I'm sorry about all that stuff by the way. I didn't know they would be there and I should've-"

"Ruby, look at me," silver eyes looked up from the cup, "You didn't know _ I _was going to be there. How could you have possibly known about any of the other things that happened? You did everything you were capable of doing in the moment. Hindsight is a bitch, especially with something like what happened with last night. What happened is what happened, and as much as you might like to that can't be changed," she reached across the table, taking Ruby's free hand in her own, "Don't worry about it. I'm still here with you, okay? And I don't really plan on going anywhere."

"Thanks Pyrrha," Ruby gave her hand a squeeze, "How about when my shift gets over we head back to my place and I give you a private concert? You've been asking to hear me play for so long, I think it's only fair I give it to you uninterrupted."

The taller woman smiled, "That sounds grand love. What time do you get done with work?"

"Three? I wanna say three, maybe two-thirty. Sometime in the afternoon. Do you work today?"

"I thought I'd end up hungover after going out with my roommate last night so I called in sick," Pyrrha admitted with a laugh, "So I'm free all day."

"Well then we'll have to do something with all that time, won't we?" Ruby grinned, "Find a way to occupy ourselves."

"I suppose we will," the redhead agreed, "The two of us, alone in your apartment. Whatever are we to do?"

"I'm sure we'll think of something when the time comes," the shorter woman sipped her drink, "Did you notice anything special about your cup?"

"Huh? Oh, no," emerald eyes ran over the plain maroon cup, catching on a black string of numbers just above the carboard sleeve, "Ruby Rose, you sly devil. Is this your way of saying you wanna go out with me?"

"I think the kisses work well enough," Ruby muttered, cheeks glowing red, "It's my number, so we can call each other and stuff rather than meet on accident or because we've been set up."

"Smart."

"It's good to have a way to talk to someone you actually _ want _to talk to," she pointed out, tapping her temple.

"In all seriousness, thank you for this," Pyrrha lowered her voice, "It means a lot to me."

"You mean a lot to me," Ruby responded, "I figure it's an even trade."

* * *

"Blake!" Yang whined, hands over her eyes, "They're being gross again! Make them stop!"

"Oh please, like we haven't made her sit through _ more _ than enough of stuff like that," the raven-haired woman replied, "That being said _ you two _, don't think I won't spray you down with the dishwashing hose."

"Please, that thing can't make it all the way out here," Ruby shot back, "Yang and I have tried, it barely makes it past the counter."

Amber eyes shifted from one sister to another, "Is this true Yang?"

The blonde spun on her heel, hands dropping to her sides and balling into fists, "You have no idea what it's like to be stuck here when the AC goes bust in the middle of summer! This place gets _ hot _, Blake."

"And the solution was to spray each other with a hose?" she asked dryly.

"It was to see how far it went," the younger sister interjected, "And like I said, just past the counter."

"Alright, I forget how much you two are to handle some times," Blake pinched the bridge of her nose, "Ruby, please take your girlfriend back to your apartment if you're going to act like that. I can only stand Yang's complaining for so long before I need a break-"

"Rude!"

"However," she continued, ignoring her girlfriend, "_ sometimes _she has a point. And while I don't have a problem with it, I know you're just doing this to piss her off."

"So?"

"So get a room," both women behind the counter said in unison.

"Fine, if you two are gonna be _ prudes _," she climbed off Pyrrha's lap, the older woman whimpering slightly from the loss of contact, "we'll be leaving."

"Good," Yang scoffed, "That shit's gross."

"You're gross."

The blonde stuck her tongue out at her sister as the other two women disappeared out the door, hand in hand.

"So where're we headed?" Pyrrha asked, interlocked arm swinging lazily between them, "You wanna grab lunch? Go to the park?"

"I figure, with the way you helped annoy Yang back there that you definitely deserve that private concert now," Ruby responded, shaking the case in her other hand, "From there I figure we can take that grocery list you made and go shopping so I can make you something for dinner tonight. Whatever you want, I can probably make."

The two made their way back to Ruby's apartment, slipping through the door not five minutes later. The shorter woman kicked off her shoes, grabbing one of the chairs from near the counter and bringing it into the living room. Setting the case on the ground, she flicked the clasps up and opened the case. Pyrrha watched, awestruck. Silently slipping her shoes off and making her way to the couch, her eyes never leaving the shorter woman.

Ruby fiddled with the tuning keys, picking a string and humming every few moments. Once she felt the guitar was in tune, she looked up at Pyrrha. Immediately her cheeks flared red, her confidence deflating. This was the first time she'd done something like this. She never played _ just _ for Emerald. It was always Emerald _ and _ her friends, or Emerald _ and _these people from work. There was something comforting to playing in front of a group because usually it was more than just one set of eyes on her at once. She could tune them all out if there were more than she cared to count. But with just Pyrrha's brilliant green eyes shining back at her, filled with anticipation, her nerves felt debilitating.

In an instant, the taller woman's expression shifted from excitement to concern, "Is something wrong?"

When she moved to stand Ruby shook her head, "I'm sorry, I've just never really played for _ only _one person before."

"Oh," Pyrrha folded her hands in her lap, "If you don't feel comfortable doing this, you don't-"

"No, Pyrrha. I want to," the shorter woman insisted, "I know that if I mess up in front of you it's not gonna change anything. This is just a little different is all. I need a minute to get used to it."

"If you're sure," the redhead resettled on the couch, "If you feel uncomfortable at any point though, feel free to stop. I can always hear you play from a crowd."

"I know, it's just that you said you wanted to hear me play that night you kissed me after I ruined," Pyrrha opened her mouth to correct her, "when we kissed for the first time, I wrote a song that I was gonna play for you the next day. But-"

"I never showed up," the older woman finished and Ruby nodded, "God Ruby I'm so sorry, I had no idea that you did something like that. If I wasn't such a coward this whole mess could've been avoided."

"You're not a coward," she told her, "You were scared after what happened, so was I. I panic texted Yang to come over as soon as I got through the door because I was terrified. I lashed out at Blake after you didn't come in because I was so scared that I'd scared you off."

Tears prickled at the edges of her eyes, "We're just such disasters, aren't we?" Pyrrha laughed.

"We kinda are," Ruby agreed, smiling, "I think I'm comfortable starting now."

"Go ahead," the glint of excitement returned to her emerald eyes.

She was halfway through the second verse when the first knocks caused them both to jump. They came again on the second chorus, three sharp knocks that threw her off for a moment. Her phone buzzed during the third verse, and there were more knocks during the final chorus.

"I'll be right back," she told Pyrrha, placing her guitar in the case and quickly storming to the door.

"Listen asshole, I'm trying to-" Ruby started, throwing the door open, rant dying in her throat as she looked up at her landlord.

"Ah, Little Red, just the person I wanted to see," Roman interrupted, pushing past her, "Lovely song by the way. Can tell there was a lot of passion behind it. If you ever need a manager, I'd be more than happy to provide."

"Uh, thanks," she awkwardly closed the door, "What're you here for?"

"I talked with Glynda about getting you a place to live there a couple days ago," he pulled out a chair from her table, propping his feet up as he leaned back, "She's a tough bitch to negotiate with, but I was able to get her to give you an apartment with a discount on rent the first couple months," he was wearing the biggest shit-eating grin she'd ever seen, arms outstretched, "So am I the greatest landlord ever or am I the greatest landlord ever?"

She stopped. That was actually a tempting offer. A discount on rent would give her the chance to try and do music as more than just a secondary interest. Start playing somewhere that attracted crowds more than once or twice a week. Maybe invest in some recording equipment and put music out on the internet. Plus it would also be nice to not have Cinder knowing where she lived.

"What's the place like?"

"Six-hundred fifty square feet, one bed, one bath with merged kitchen and dining and an office," he answered coolly, "Rent'll usually run you upwards of eleven hundred but she's willing to knock three hundred off for your first three months. Plus she said your sister lives there so you've already got in good with her," he pulled a cigar from his jacket pocket, "This shit's a slam dunk kid. As much as I hate to see you leave, you deserve it."

"I'm sorry, but who are you?" Pyrrha spoke up, standing from the couch and joining Ruby.

"Roman Torchwick, finest negligent landlord this side of Vale," he introduced as he cut the seal to his cigar, "With whom do I have the pleasure of speaking?"

"Right, that's what makes this kind of awkward," Ruby dropped her gaze to the floor, "Roman, this is my new girlfriend. Pyrrha, this is my landlord."

"I'd gathered," she ran her eyes over Roman as he pulled a lighter from his pocket, "Charmed."

"Likewise," he held the cigar in his mouth, warming the end with a flame. After a few seconds he pulled back, exhaling a small cloud of smoke, "Holy shit kid, where'd you find her?"

Both women blushed, Pyrrha also finding somewhere else to look, "We met through work, believe it or not."

"As in she came and got something to drink?"

"Actually, it was her music that really drew me in," the taller woman admitted, "I'd been going to the shop for a couple months because I saw her play one time and I thought it was beautiful. A couple weeks ago I just finally worked up the courage to talk to her about it."

"How cute," he puffed out another, larger cloud of smoke. Standing, he pushed the chair back into the table, "Y'know, if you wanted Glynda'd probably let you two move in together."

"Doesn't that seem a little fast?" the redhead asked, voice raising half an octave, "I mean, we haven't even known each other a month, we just started dating and now you're suggesting we move in together."

"Not my decision to make," Roman called, not looking back as he made his way to the door, "Also, that's how Little Red and I got to know each other anyways. She moved out here with some chick."

"That was different," Ruby insisted, "Em and I knew each other for years before we moved in here."

"I'm not saying you have to," he turned at the door, cigar held in his smug grin, "I'm just sayin' you probably could. Y'know," he winked, "if you wanted to."

He disappeared as he pulled the door closed. Ruby's face burned, and she knew without looking Pyrrha's probably did as well. Who did that asshole think he was to come in here and try to play matchmaker? Besides, she didn't even know what the taller woman's living situation was. Would she be willing to drop wherever she was living just to share an apartment with her?

"If I'm being completely honest," Pyrrha swallowed nervously, voice barely above a whisper, "I wouldn't mind sharing a space like that."

* * *

"Thanks for all your help today," Ruby rested her head against Pyrrha's arm, "I don't think I would've been able to do most of it without you."

The redhead chuckled softly, "You wouldn't have been able to go grocery shopping?"

"Not on my own, certainly not with Blake and Yang trying to help," she swung their intertwined hands lazily between them, a slight breeze causing her to subconsciously shift closer to the taller woman, "Grocery shopping with Yang is like being their with a five-year old except she's twenty something and has a debit card."

Leaves skittered across the gravel path, stones crunching under their feet with every step. As always, the area across the street from Ruby's building was empty. It was getting colder out faster, the sun taking less and less time to disappear below the horizon. Even during the warmer months of the year, it was strange to find more than a couple people in the park at a time. Especially when Ruby was usually in it. Maybe that ugly snowflake was good for something after all.

It was already dark out by the time they'd gotten back from the store and put Ruby's groceries away. They'd made dinner in the oven, microwave dinners Pyrrha had suggested buying as a joke. It took far longer than she would've been willing to do on her own, and tasted virtually the same as far as she was concerned, but the other woman said that was how she cooked them in college so she gave it a shot.

After macaroni from a cardboard tray and about two glasses of a perfectly good red wine, she'd insisted on taking Pyrrha on a walk through the park. The taller woman, being one to only go along with anything she asked, agreed.

Pyrrha's laugh rang through the park, the sound doubling the size of Ruby's grin, "She's really that bad?"

The younger woman nodded against her, "Honest to god. Every thirty seconds it's "Blake can we have this?" "Blake do we need any of these?" And every time Blake doesn't catch what she's asking about it goes straight into the cart and unless we notice it before we get to checkout all we'll get is a half-hearted apology."

"That sounds awful," Pyrrha planted a kiss on the top of Ruby's head, "I'm sorry you've got to deal with that."

"Well usually Blake just makes her pay for it so it's not all that bad. It's really finding space to put some of the shit she buys that's annoying," silver eyes landed on a bench, "Why don't we sit down for a little bit?"

"Getting sleepy, eh?"

"No," the shorter woman answered indignantly, "I just usually stop at the first bench in the park. I'm not used to going this far in."

"Alright, alright," she eased herself onto the bench, leaning back to allow Ruby somewhere to nestle, "Whatever excuse you need to make for being out of shape."

"Out of shape?" the younger woman squawked, "I walk to work, I'll have you know."

"I know where you work love," Pyrrha ruffled Ruby's hair, "It's not as good of a defense as you think."

A silence settled between them, the sounds of the world around them filling the role of conversation. It felt nice, in a way. To be able to be comfortable with each other so much that talking wasn't even needed. The shorter woman snuggled closer to Pyrrha as the breeze picked up slightly, who wrapped an arm around her in response. They sat in contented silence for a while, neither bothering to count the time. The sky only grew darker, stars growing brighter in contrast. The moon was light in the sky, though when clouds passed in front of it from time to time Ruby could swear it looked as though it had been shattered.

Footsteps on the path ultimately disturbed the moment. Both women perked up, the crunch of gravel underfoot growing louder and louder. Ruby struggled to make out a figure, the darkness of the night making it more difficult. Eventually they'd stomped close enough that she could see an outline, her blood running cold.

"Pyrrha," she whispered, "We need to get out of here."

"Okay," the taller woman's arm wrapped a little tighter around her, "Should we wait for this person or-"

"I knew I'd find you here," the woman slurred, voice making Ruby's hair stand on end, "Thanks for saving me the trouble of tryin' to get into your place."

The redhead shot to her feet, putting Ruby behind her on the bench, "I thought I told you to leave us alone."

Cinder laughed, finally stepping close enough that Ruby could see her, "I couldn't give a shit what you told me."

"Well then you certainly can't be that concerned about what I'm going to do to you," the taller woman slowly reached into her purse, "I'm giving you one more chance to turn around before I replace a few of your teeth with gravel."

"You're welcome to try," the amber-eyed woman flicked out a knife, the blade glinting under a nearby light, "If you feel like you can go toe-to-toe with me I'd like to see what kinda punch you can pack. After you _ ruined _my relationship, I'm more than willing to kick your ass."

"Doesn't feel so good does it?" Ruby could hear the smirk in Pyrrha's voice, "Having someone else tear down what you took time building?"

"Don't give me that self-righteous bullshit!" she yelled, "You have no idea why I did what I did! Emerald and I were _ meant _ to be together. And she," Cinder waved the knife in their direction, "was screwing everything up. She left me because of you two! What you said, what you did! It's your fault!"

"She came to _ us _ to ask about what _ you _did last night," the redhead told her coolly, "All we did was tell her the truth."

Ruby climbed to her knees, putting a hand on Pyrrha's shoulder, "Pyrrha please, we should just try and get out of here. I don't want you getting hurt. Especially not because of me."

"Don't worry about me love," she reassured, "I know what I'm doing."

"Riling her up?" the shorter woman hissed, "She's got a _ knife_."

"Are you two done writing wills over there?" the older woman sneered, "I hate to interrupt your scene Rosaline and Juliet, but you ruined my relationship. I feel it's only fair to return the favor."

"Ruby, do me a favor and cover your eyes."

The shorter woman nodded even though Pyrrha couldn't see it, pulling her jacket up over her face.

Cinder rushed forward, a wild smirk on her face. She moved surprisingly fast for someone in heels on gravel. Pyrrha's hand flicked from her purse, blasting Cinder with an orange cone of mist. Immediately she stumbled backwards, screaming in pain. Her hands were pressed to her eyes, the knife continuing to shine occasionally.

"My eye!" her hands fell from her face, the spray already taking effect as her skin grew red and swelled, "You bitch! You sprayed my eye!"

Cinder tried to attack again, blindly taking a few steps forward. Pyrrha clutched the can tightly as she stepped forward, making her way closer.

"You coward! Can't even bother fighting-"

A sickening crack echoed through the park, Cinder crumpling to the gravel in a heap. Blood leaked from her nose, trailing down her face and onto the ground. The redhead grabbed the knife, concealing the blade before slipping it into her purse. Cautiously she stepped back over to Ruby, eyes not leaving the unconscious woman until she was back on the bench.

"Ruby, it's over," Pyrrha reassured her, wrapping her arms tightly around her, "Don't worry. I'm safe, you're safe. I'll call the police and they'll deal with her."

The jacket dropped from Ruby's face, the shorter woman promptly burying her head in Pyrrha's shoulder. She sniffled loudly, tears streaming down her face and onto Pyrrha's jacket.

"Never do something like that again, do you hear me?" she murmured, clutching onto Pyrrha, "Never."

* * *

"Move! Out of my goddamned way!" a white-haired woman yelled, attempting to push past the barricade at the park entrance, "I'm supposed to be here! Emergency contact!"

"What she meant to say," a blond monkey faunus spoke up calmly, clamping a hand over her mouth, "is that we're an emergency contact. So if you'd be kind enough to let us past we'd greatly appreciate it.

The officers parted to let the pair pass, a white ponytail flowing behind the woman as she stormed into the park. Blake and Yang shared a look before stepping up to the line of police.

"We're also emergency contacts," Yang spoke up, "Yang Xiao-Long and Blake Belladonna."

"Through here," an officer grunted, stepping aside to let them through.

"Thank you," they responded in unison, racing past and up the trail. The further down the trail they went, the brighter the lights grew. Eventually Yang could see a crowd of people, all clustered around a bench. Her heart dropped as her pace doubled. Blake called out behind her but she wasn't truly paying any attention. She pushed through the other emergency contact, racing up the trail. Shoving her way to the crowd of officials, her eyes caught on Ruby. Her sister was thoroughly latched onto Pyrrha, and it didn't look like she'd be able to pull them apart if she tried. Not that she would.

"Come on, clear out!" the white-haired woman called out, her voice shrill, "Let me through!"

"Yang!" Blake caught up to her, slightly winded. Her eyes landed on the pair on the bench, pulling the blonde into a hug, "It's okay. They're fine. Pyrrha kept her safe."

"You guys are fast," the monkey faunus puffed, hands on his knees, "Especially you Weiss. I mean you're in heels."

"I do workouts on trips. Between all the meetings and lunches with those assholes, it gives me something _interesting _to do," she answered matter-of-factly, "Besides, sometimes it helps me let off some steam."

"They're all good to go if they want to leave," an officer spoke up from behind them, "Emergency contacts, right?" he pursed his lips when the four of them nodded, "It sucks something like this happened. I'm sorry you folks had to get called out here."

"What happened?" Yang asked, Blake clutching to her arm.

"Apparently the lady they're loading into the ambulance came at them with a knife. Taller one on the bench put her down real quick," he gestured his hat towards Pyrrha, "She gave us the knife, told us about what happened. We might need to bring them in for further questioning later but-"

"I assure you they won't be alone," the white-haired woman interrupted, "If they're going anywhere near a precinct they'll be accompanied by my legal team."

"Easy ma'am," the officer held up his hands, "I didn't say they did anything, just for details if they take this stuff to court."

"Regardless of your intentions, whoever the hell did this is going away for as long as possible."

"If you say so," he chewed his lower lip, "Like I said though, for now they can go somewhere they feel more comfortable."

"Thank you for your help," Blake told him.

"Just doing my job," he rocked back on his feet, "If you wanna thank anyone though, like I said the taller one'd be it."

"I will."

The four turned back to the pair on the bench. Ruby's head was buried in the crook of Pyrrha's neck, facing away from them. The redhead's head was tilted back, eyes closed. Though with the way her hands were still tracing patterns on the younger woman's back and running through her hair she was still conscious. Yang and Weiss cautioned a step forward at the same time, eyes locking.

"You came in yesterday didn't you?" the blonde stared at her, "You helped me set them up."

"I did," she nodded, "Like I said I'm Pyrrha's roommate."

"You're also her emergency contact?"

"I've been her roommate for nearly ten years," the woman scoffed, "I would hope so," she turned back to the pair on the bench, "Pyrrha, c'mon. Let's go somewhere more safe."

"Like where?" the redhead responded, unchanged, "Also why's Sun here?"

"Home," Weiss replied firmly, "And also I don't know. He just showed up and I can't exactly turn him away."

"We could go to the coffee shop," Yang suggested, "I've got the keys so we can lock it once we're inside. Blake and I can make everyone some drinks, on the house."

"I'd hate to risk your jobs over something like this," Pyrrha told her.

"Yes," her roommate agreed, "Surely your boss wouldn't be happy about you the place up in the middle of the night."

"Pfft, Maria? I can guarantee that she wouldn't give a shit about us going in after hours. There's a reason she trusts all three of us with keys," Yang waved a dismissive hand, "Plus, even if she did get a little upset, if I told her about what happened she wouldn't care."

"We've worked there for nearly five years at this point. The only time we've had trouble after hours is because other people we didn't expect to have there showed up," Blake added, "And besides, what about this situation doesn't seem like the best time to get to know each other? Because based on that," she flicked her thumb towards the two on the bench, "We're gonna be seeing a lot more of each other."

"If you're sure about this, I don't necessarily see the harm," the white-haired woman looked back to her friend, Sun if Yang had to hazard a guess, who shrugged, "How good is your red-eye?"

"Pretty damn good if you'll take my word for it," Yang grinned.

"Then I think it's settled," Weiss clasped her hands together, "C'mon Pyr, let's get you two out of here."

Tilting her head forward, emerald eyes fluttered open. She blinked a few times, glance jumping around from person to person. She muttered something inaudible to Ruby, the shorter woman nodding against her neck. Her hands moved down, wrapping around the younger woman's thighs.

"I'll take her if you want," Yang stepped forward, "Only been carrying her for twenty-something years at this point anyways."

"It's fine," Pyrrha smiled weakly, "I've got her."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah, one year ago. That blows my mind if I'm honest because I was in such a different place than I am now. I didn't even have a full plan for how this story was going to turn out when I posted the first chapter. I'd just had the idea and I was so antsy to put it out there. And now here we are.
> 
> Only one chapter left. Wrap everything up in a nice little bow and that'll be it. Thank you for reading this, whether you saw the first chapter a year ago and liked it or if you saw this one and binged it in a day. It means so much. I hope you enjoyed, have a great day, and I'll see y'all (hopefully) soon.
> 
> P.S. Chapter title is "Can't You Hear Me Knocking" by The Rolling Stones


	9. Real Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for being here.

_"Ruby, do me a favor and cover your eyes." _

_ She nodded, pulling her jacket over her face. Not that she wanted to see what was about to happen anyways. _

_ There were footsteps on gravel, Pyrrha screamed. _

_ Pyrrha screamed? _

_ She pulled the cover from her face. Pyrrha lay on the ground, clutching at her stomach. Cinder smiled wide, the blade in her hand coated in blood. _

_ "You two just couldn't let me be happy, could you?" she shook her head, kicking at the woman on the ground. Pyrrha yelped in pain, curling further in on herself. _

_ "This isn't how it's supposed to happen," Ruby muttered, "You-you aren't supposed to-" _

_ "Tough shit kid," Cinder snarled, "Sometimes life doesn't work out how you want it to." _

_ Ruby flinched as she stepped over Pyrrha, all her hair standing on end. Bringing her hands up over her face, she squeezed her eyes shut. _

_ "Sometimes," Cinder whispered in her ear, "Life gets a little messy." _

Ruby shot upright, a sharp pain in her stomach. She was slick with sweat, the back of her tank top nearly soaked through. Looking around, she tried to ground herself. It was still dark out, though she could see the snow flurrying past the neon glow of the city. The new clock on her nightstand told her it was some ungodly hour, the numbers not having any real meaning in the moment.

Pyrrha stirred next to her, clutching blindly at where she'd been laying, "Ruby? What's wrong?"

"I-we were-Cinder-and she-" she could feel tears beginning to form in her eyes, "She won."

The taller woman pulled her close, fingertips tracing imaginary patterns along her back, "No, she didn't," Pyrrha kept her voice soft, soothing, "She's gone for good, Weiss made sure of that. I'm fine, you're fine. She has no idea where we are, and she can't get to us anyways. We're safe."

"It felt so real though," Ruby whispered, tears running down her face, "I-I thought I lost you."

"I'd never let something like that happen," Pyrrha held her tighter, "I'm not going anywhere love."

The younger woman wormed further into the embrace, mumbling something indiscernible.

"Can you say that again?"

"Could you keep holding me?" Ruby's voice shook and it broke Pyrrha's heart, "I'm sorry I'm so worked up over something so stupid and I woke you up so early and I know you've got work today but-"

"It's not stupid love," the redhead cooed, "What happened was terrifying, and you shouldn't have gone through it. It's normal for things like this to happen even if what causes them shouldn't. You getting scared by something like this will _ never _be stupid to me," she planted a kiss on the top of Ruby's head, "And I will always be here to help you deal with it."

"Thank you," Ruby murmured sleepily, "I love you."

"I love you too."

* * *

She blinked slowly, trying to push the sleep from her eyes. Her alarm chirped to her left, going silent moments later. The shower was running, she could hear it through the wall.

Despite how short her time alone had been, it still felt somewhat weird sharing a living space again. Not that it was bad, she loved sharing the apartment with Pyrrha, but she'd grown somewhat used to coming home to an empty apartment. In a sense, everything that had happened between them still didn't feel real yet. She felt as though she was living in a dream, like she'd wake up at any moment, alone in her bed in her old apartment. But every time Pyrrha kissed her, it reminded her of how awake she was.

It had been nearly two months since Pyrrha had called Roman to say they'd take the deal. She was still pretty shocked about everything that had happened the night before, so Pyrrha said she'd do it. With the help of Yang's competition with Pyrrha's friend Sun and the moving company her roommate paid for, she'd dropped her key in Roman's hand a day later. And while the cheap bastard hadn't given back her deposit, he did give her an expensive-looking wine and a box of cigars.

_ "As much as I hate to say I'll miss your money," _ he'd told her as he handed over the bottle, _ "I'm gonna miss seeing you around here even more Little Red." _ Before she could thank him, he was already walking towards the door, _ "Don't forget me when you're famous!" _

Over the past five years, he'd been nothing but a greedy, negligent asshole who did nothing but barge in on the first of every month to demand money. But at some point the shred of a heart he had showed through to her, and to her only. Which made leaving the first place she'd lived in after moving away from home a little more bittersweet than it had any right being. Especially given everything that had happened there.

They picked up their key from Glynda and quickly set about moving everything in. The movers only brought things to the apartment, they'd set everything up themselves. That had been a far more enjoyable affair, with all of them slightly tipsy after getting into the wine Roman had given her. Yang and Blake paid for pizza for the six of them, and productivity ground to a halt after the couch was pushed to the center of the living room.

The shower stopped, pulling her from her thoughts. Sitting up, she climbed out of bed and shuffled to the bathroom.

"That'd better be who I think it is," Pyrrha joked as Ruby wrapped her arms around the taller woman's waist.

"Who else is it gonna be?" she mumbled tiredly into Pyrrha's shoulder, still covered with water droplets, "There'd better still be hot water."

"I don't know how Glynda collects rent, alright?" she doubled over to wrap her hair in a towel, dragging Ruby with her, "I've been lucky enough to have gone my entire adult life without paying rent. And yes, there's hot water left, you big baby."

"I'm sorry miss rent-free, but it's a valid concern," the younger woman detached from Pyrrha's waist, pulling her sleep shirt over her head, "Emerald used to burn through a month's worth of hot water in one shower. Granted, it was because Roman cheaped out on keeping the water heaters clean and they couldn't keep a pilot light going for shit, but ever since then I don't joke about hot water."

"Alright, you've made your point," Pyrrha raised a toothbrush to the mirror in defense, "Are you going in today?"

"I can. Gives me a chance to run through a couple more songs before I sit down to record them," she turned the tap, water bursting from the showerhead, "Are you scheduled?"

"Blake and I have the afternoon, but we wouldn't mind if you showed up," the redhead admitted around her toothbrush, "If anything she'd probably trade with you if you wanted. She's trying to make sure everything's packed for our trip."

"Christ Belladonna there's a week to go," Ruby muttered to herself as she climbed into the shower, "Honestly she thinks Yang's just gonna forget to pack or something."

"Is she wrong to think that?"

"Well," she popped the cap on her shampoo, the warm water soaking into her hair, "_no _, but with Blake breathing down her neck about it Yang might put it off just to spite her."

"Of course she would."

She was in and out of the shower in under ten minutes, tossing her now-dull razor into the trash. Toweling dry as best she could, she finished getting ready for the day. The smell of fresh-cooked something drifted in from the kitchen as she finished brushing her teeth.

"It looks pretty nasty out there right now," Ruby called from the bedroom, glancing at the sheet of falling snow as she pulled a clean shirt over her head, "Might be pretty busy today. Warm drinks and heating and all that."

"Is that you saying you don't want to work?"

"Not necessarily," she replied, mock offense in her voice, "Just that y'know, I don't know how Maria would feel about paying three employees when only two of them are scheduled."

"_I _think that as long as the money was made, she wouldn't really mind."

* * *

"Your ass is _ so _lucky I came with you today," Ruby smirked, adding the finishing touches to a drink before handing it off to Blake.

"Yeah, yeah," Pyrrha muttered, pumping shots of espresso into a cup, "You can be right when we _ aren't _getting slammed."

Not only had the snow continued throughout the day, it had only worsened. It fell freely from the sky as more of a thick fog, obscuring vision and chilling through clothes. Mix in the strong freezing winds the city was currently getting battered by and the heated coffee shop within a block of a city park was packed. Ruby and Pyrrha were trying their hardest to get orders done quickly, handing them off to Blake who would either in turn hand them off to Yang, or run them out to tables.

If the line wasn't continuously growing, Ruby could have been making incredible money off the practically captive crowd.

"We're supposed to fly in this weather?" the shorter woman asked, more to herself than the girl next to her.

"It supposed to get worse next week," Pyrrha commented, "so no. Not likely."

"You mean to tell me we'll probably end up driving home?" she groaned, filling a cup with coffee, "That's gonna take for_ever _. When Yang and I came up here for school it took like five hours or something, and that was in the summer."

"I don't know what you're complaining about, you won't be driving," the redhead responded, scribbling markings on a cup with sharpie before snapping a lid onto it, "It must be so hard to just sit there and not do anything."

"It's incredibly difficult to do nothing I'll have you know."

"Well in about a week I'm gonna find out."

"How're things going back here?" Blake was practically out of breath, "We doing good? Anyone need a swap?"

"No, but I can take your place if you'd like," the taller woman offered, handing her the drink she'd just finished preparing, "You don't need to run yourself ragged when all four of us are here."

"I couldn't ask you to switch if you don't want to-"

"Then don't ask me," Pyrrha insisted, "Just come over here and start making drinks. I'll start running them out."

"Alright," the raven-haired woman carefully stepped around Ruby, taking the redhead's place, "It's pretty crowded out there, so be careful with the drinks."

"Can do," she sent the pair a smile and a wink, making her way over to Yang.

"You nervous about next week?" Blake asked after a moment, shoveling ice into a cup, "I know that Yang was pretty scared the first time I met your dad."

"Yeah, but you guys were what, seventeen? Nah," Ruby snorted, "I'm not worried. Pyrrha and I are adults, we'll handle it like adults. No matter how childish it gets."

"And how childish do you think it'll get?"

"More so than it needs to," she sighed, snapping a lid onto a cup.

* * *

The seemingly endless stream of customers slowed over the rest of the day. Eventually Yang was able to leave, only some two-odd hours after her shift ended. The snow came down relentlessly, painting the city outside with a frigid white coat. Despite the fact that it had stayed behind the clouds all day, the sun still disappeared sooner than expected. The sky went dark in the middle of the afternoon, the frozen world outside illuminated by street lamps and bright signs.

"Blake, are you gonna want a ride home?" Pyrrha called from far behind the counter.

"I was gonna call Yang, but if you're offering I wouldn't mind," she dropped the damp washcloth back into the bucket of soapy water on the floor, recoiling at the small splash, "We can close up whenever you guys are ready to go."

"I'm good just about any time," Ruby told her, eyes not leaving her tuning keys as she toyed with them slightly, "What're we doing for dinner?"

"I could go for anything to be honest," the redhead sighed, pushing through the nearby **Employees Only** door, "as long as there's a nice glass of wine to go with it."

"Now _that_ I can do," she slipped her guitar into its case, snapping the worn clasps shut, "A little wine, cozy blanket, the corner of the couch-"

"Alright, now I know what Yang's talking about," Blake interrupted, sidling between the two, "I have no idea how she's gonna cope during the drive down with the two of you in the car if you act like that."

"Hopefully quietly," Ruby quipped, Pyrrha hiding her laughter behind her hand as best she could, "As I've said several times, the _ years_ on end I've had to put up with the two of you only makes this fair."

"You know that's not the answer she likes to hear."

"Why do you think I keep giving it?"

"The same reason you do a lot of things," Blake yelled back, "To annoy her."

She stayed silent, watching with a smile as Pyrrha tried and failed to continue to contain her laughter. The raven-haired woman poked her head across the counter, amber eyes narrowed, "You don't have anything to say to that?"

"What, do you want me to say you're wrong?" the younger woman held her arms wide, "That's lying, Blake. I don't lie."

"Glad to see the flair for the dramatic came from your dad," Blake rolled her eyes, disappearing back behind the counter, "Having to deal with only one of you would have been so disappointing."

"See now _that's_ lying."

* * *

"God, where _ are _they?" she whined, "They could've at least given us the keys so we wouldn't have to wait in the goddamn cold."

Ruby hugged herself tighter, trying to hold back from shivering. The snow outside the parking garage was flurrying past, helped along by the wind. She could see her breath in front of her face, a brief cloud that disappeared as soon as it showed itself. Pyrrha stood behind her, arms draped over the shorter woman's shoulders in an attempt to warm her a little.

They were stranded in the building's garage next to Blake's beaten-down four-door, their two suitcases piled next to the trunk. By this time a few days ago, they had planned to be on the road, but because of a certain blonde's poor time management they were stranded.

"Odds are getting your sister packed," the taller woman murmured in her ear, warm breath causing Ruby to shudder, "Blake told me yesterday Yang still hadn't packed and that was when we closed, and between the two of us your sister isn't great at picking up when Blake's pissed."

"She's great at picking it up. Given how long they've been together, she wouldn't have lived this long if she wasn't," silver eyes rolled, "She was trying to prove her point and she forgot."

Pyrrha laughed softly, "I told you this would happen."

"And I didn't disagree with you," she grumbled, "I just wish you weren't right."

"Me too love," she pressed a kiss to Ruby's temple.

The car chirped behind them, the dull _ thunk _of the locks jumping out of place. Both women flinched, turning back to the car.

"Sorry we're late!" Blake's voice echoed off the cold concrete, "_Someone _decided to wait until today to pack her shit!"

"We figured!" the redhead called back, Ruby already shoving the two suitcases into the trunk of the car, "You'll need to apologize to your sister!"

"She's already agreed to drive so," the three winced as Ruby slammed the door to the car, "might be a good first step."

"So melodramatic," Yang huffed, tossing her bag into the trunk, "You'd think I did something to her personally."

"You're still on thin ice with me too missy," Blake snarked, setting her case on the ground, "I told you for a literal week to pack and every time I was met with 'I'll do it tomorrow' or 'I can do it in five minutes, so I'll just do it then' and what happened?"

"Yeah, yeah," the blonde grumbled, "Not my fault my alarm didn't go off."

"Entirely your fault for not having done it sooner," her girlfriend chided, climbing into the passenger seat. The car thrummed to life, exhaust billowing from the end. Yang coughed as she brought the trunk down, Pyrrha doing her best to stifle a laugh. The blonde trudged past her, throwing the door open and clamoring inside. Pyrrha slid into the seat next to Ruby, wrapping her arms around the younger woman.

"Gah! Jesus!" Pyrrha laughed again as Ruby fought to escape her grip, "Your hands are like ice, woman! I was just starting to warm up!"

"You'll have plenty of time to warm up," Blake commented, "We're only gonna be in this car for the next four hours and I assure, the heat will be on."

"Lord knows we wouldn't hear the end of it if it wasn't," Yang muttered, eliciting a giggle from her girlfriend.

"With the door open?" the youngest woman grunted, still attempting to wrestle out of Pyrrha's grasp, "We're practically bleeding warm air as is."

"Oh hush," the redhead murmured, covering Ruby's mouth with her hand, muffling another yelp, "Body heat is supposed to be the best thing to warm someone up when there's no other option."

"Not in my car it's not," Blake responded dryly.

"And not while I'm driving," Yang added.

"_And _ not when I'm being snuggled by an ice cube," the shorter woman choked out, struggling to keep her mouth above Pyrrha's hand.

"Yes, we get it," the redhead lamented, finally releasing Ruby, "You're suffering."

"Obviously," she shot back, dusting herself off.

"Alright, enough horsing around back there. Seatbelts on, Blake dear, close the door," buckles clicked as the door was pulled shut, "We all good to go?"

"Yup," the raven-haired woman chirped, "C'mon, stop delaying this more than you already have."

"Meh meh meh," Yang mocked, shifting into reverse and throwing her gaze to the rear-view mirror, "The house isn't going anywhere, dad sure as hell isn't. You don't like the dog, so I don't know why you're so anxious to go there."

"Because the sooner we get there, the faster we can get his antics out of the way," Blake sighed, "Yang honey I love your father but he's like you on steroids. And there's only so much of the _ both _of you I can tolerate at one time."

* * *

Pyrrha blinked, shuddering upright. She was practically sweating, the heat from the car vent blasting on her face. Glancing out the window, she watched as snow-covered trees and sheer mountainside sped past, snow still flurrying down. The sun was somewhere lower in the sky than she remembered, the sky's color changing with it. Turning her attention back inside the car, Ruby and Blake were both asleep, heads resting against the windows. Blake seemed to have her thumb tucked into a book, marking a page. Ruby's headphones had slipped off her head, blasting faint, fast-paced music. Smiling, she shook her head. How Ruby fell asleep listening to such intense music was confusing.

She carefully took the phone from the shorter woman's lap, pausing the music. Pulling her own phone from her pocket she checked the time, blinking in surprise at how early it still was.

"How far out from your house are we?" Pyrrha asked, voice still hoarse with sleep.

"About forty minutes or so," Yang replied, keeping her voice just as quiet, "Why, need me to pull over or something?"

"No," she laughed softly, "Just wondering."

"Are you excited? Nervous or anything like that?"

"Not particularly," the redhead sighed, "but you asking me about it has me thinking I should be."

"Nah, don't be. Dad might like to think he can play a tough guy, but after what you've done for Rubes these past couple months I don't think he'll even try it."

* * *

Gravel crunched beneath the wheels of the car as it climbed the long driveway, the house looming in the distance. Light spilled from its windows and into the inky, snow-ridden outside sky. It was certainly a big house, what looked to be two or three stories, all wood exterior. Wraparound porch, another building off to the side of the house that she couldn't identify, plenty of open land.

The other two women started awake as the car hit a particularly nasty dip, falling a few inches before jumping back up. Blake sent the woman next to her a tired, angry glare, her girlfriend responding with a sheepish smile and a halfhearted shrug.

"Rise and shine everybody," Yang joked as the car rolled to a stop next to the house, "We're here."

"I can see that," Ruby groaned, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, "Where's dad?"

"Probably inside," she killed the engine, throwing open her door and filling the car with cold, "Holy shit it's cold."

"Can you warn someone before you just pollute their warmth with your outside air like that?" Blake complained, curling in on herself, "I wasn't ready to be thrown so abruptly into the cold."

"You big baby," the blonde called back as she made her way to the trunk, "Quit whining and come back here and get your bag. The faster you do that, the faster you get inside and back into the warmth."

"You ready to go inside sleepyhead?" Pyrrha asked, brushing hair from Ruby's eyes, "Want me to get your bag?"

"Nah, I can get it," she murmured tiredly, nuzzling ever-so slightly into Pyrrha's hand, "I want to go to bed."

"I know sweetheart, but we've got to get everything inside. Get some dinner in that stomach of yours," she poked the younger woman's stomach, causing her to giggle, "Then we can worry about getting you to bed."

"But I'm tired _ now_," she moaned.

"Well," the redhead did her best to subtly reach behind the woman, "maybe you just need a bit of a wake-up." Pushing the door open, cold air rushed in and caused them both to shudder.

"Th-that's n-n-n-not fair," Ruby stuttered, teeth chattering, "I'm gonna kick your ass."

"You'll have to catch me first," she tapped the shorter woman on the nose, climbing out of the car.

"I hope you like the couch!" Ruby yelled indignantly, "No way in hell we're sharing a bed tonight after you did that!"

The redhead laughed as she grabbed the two remaining bags from the trunk, "Like you'll deny the free extra heat."

"She's got ya there Rubes," Yang chimed in from the porch, "We both know how cold your room gets. You're gonna need all the extra heat you can get."

"I didn't ask you!" she shot back, stepping out of the car, "And besides, don't act like you're doing better with your own girlfriend."

"Please," the blonde scoffed, "Blake _ needs _ me in the bed. I've keep her warm in _ every _possible way."

"Gross," Ruby faked a retch, "I think I'm gonna throw up."

"That makes two of us," Blake added, finally exiting the car, "Yang honey, do you think you'll be able to fit through the door without hitting your head? Sure are thinking awfully highly of yourself."

"Ha ha. Funny," Yang deadpanned, sticking her tongue out at Blake, "Have fun freezing your asses off tonight. Pyrrha and I are gonna have plenty of fun downstairs on the couch."

"I'm sure you are," Blake practically stomped across to the porch, hands shoved deep into her coat pockets, book tucked under her arm, "No need for you to bring your suitcase all the way to your room anymore."

"It's _ my _ room!" Yang squawked, "If anything I don't need to bring _ your _suitcase all the way up there."

"Save your bickering for when you aren't blocking a doorway!" Ruby called, hefting her bag off the ground, "I want to get inside and I can't do it when you two dinguses are fighting in front of it!"

"Ooh, she's mad now!" Blake crowed, attention immediately diverted from the older sister, "Look what we've done Yang! We're _ dinguses_!"

"The damage to my social status is irreparable!" the blonde clutched her chest, eyes scrunched shut, "However will I go on after being labelled something so damning? A dingus can't survive in this world!"

Pyrrha laughed as she closed the trunk, picking up her own suitcase. The younger woman let out a frustrated snort, storming up to the porch and through the front door. Yang and Blake filed in after her, still laughing. The redhead made it inside a moment later, sliding the door closed behind her. All three of the others seemed to have stopped dead in the doorway, staring ahead. Following their gaze, her eyes settled on a woman with long black hair giving a weak smile.

"Oh, uh," a man at the top of the stairs started awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck, "Hi girls! And girls' friends, I suppose." He seemed to be another version of Yang, with his sandy blond hair and wide smile, "I see you've all met Raven then."

"Met's a pretty strong word dad," Yang set her bag down, "Encountered seems more accurate."

"I suppose," he said to himself, smile briefly dropping before reappearing a moment later as he started down the stairs, "She's actually been around for a little while now."

"And you didn't think to tell us any of this?" Ruby spoke up, "No phone call or anything? If you'd asked us to come down and talk about it we would've made time."

"Well I know that you've been busy lately, with all that happened and whatnot. And it seemed a little weird to just send a text about something like this," he reached the bottom of the stairs, turning and motioning for her to come over, "So we figured that we'd tell you today."

"Tell us what?" the two sisters asked in unison, tones wary.

"I'm back for good," the woman, Raven, had a tone as fragile as her smile, "I'm out, have been for a couple months now. It took a lot of effort but it's safe for me to have a life like this now."

"She's only been back here for about a month or so though," the man wrapped an arm around her waist, "But it's nice having someone around again that isn't your uncle. Especially with you girls being so far away and all."

Yang ran her gaze up and down the woman, eyes narrowed. Raven seemed to shrink somewhat, nervously looking between the four of them. The blonde sighed, eyes dropping to her feet before looking back up and smiling slightly at her.

"As long as you promise you _ won't get hurt,_" she spoke carefully, "do whatever makes you happy. Ruby's got you beat on dating the worst person in this family."

"Hey!" her sister objected.

"Thank you Yang," Raven's voice was more confident, though still shaky, "It means a lot to know you're okay with this."

"I don't know if I'd go _ that _far, but," the blonde laughed softly, "I'm sure I can get used to it if the two of you are serious."

* * *

Pyrrha shuffled down the stairs, empty glass in hand. Her throat was dry and the entire cup of water she'd set aside had apparently not been enough. Additionally, by some sick twist of fate, either her glass was too tall or the bathroom sink was too low, but nonetheless she found herself trudging all the way to kitchen in the middle of the night.

She winced as one of the stairs creaked beneath her foot, though based on the fact she could see the kitchen light on there was _someone_ who was still awake. Carefully, she made her way down the rest of the stairs and into the kitchen. Ruby's father sat at the table, leaning back in a chair. Emerald eyes darted to the floor as she quickly walked to the sink.

He didn't say anything as she filled her glass, simply sitting and smiling to himself as though she weren't there at all. Maybe that was a good thing, even if it didn't feel like it. It was only when she turned to leave, eyes still trained to the ground, that he spoke up.

"Don't think I didn't hear about what you did for my girl," his voice was light, matching his expression, "That's some serious shit kid. You could've been hurt."

"So could Ruby," Pyrrha responded, "And that wasn't something I wanted to have happen. Especially not if I could've done something to stop it."

"Easy. You can drop the macho act with me, alright?" he held up his hands in defense, "I get that you care about her, a whole helluva lot more than the last girl too. You don't have to prove that to me."

"Then what do you want me to do?"

"I just wanna get to know the person who saved my little girl's life a little better," the blond told her, kicking out the chair across from himself, "C'mere. Promise I won't keep you up too late."

She obliged, setting the glass on a coaster. He barked out a laugh.

"What?" she quirked up an eyebrow.

"It's just that Ruby's the only other one who'd ever use a coaster is all. Even if she didn't need one."

The redhead gave a small smile, "I had a strict roommate through college. I don't think I could put a drink anywhere but a coaster if I tried."

He laughed again, shaking his head, "That'll do it."

After a moment of quiet she spoke up, "What is it you'd like to know sir?"

"Just Tai's fine," he smiled at her, "Things like sir and all that make me feel old."

"Got it."

A clock somewhere counted the seconds, tick by tick. Pyrrha's throat felt even more dry than when she came downstairs, reaching for her glass and taking a few quick drinks before setting it back on the coaster.

"Why Ruby?" Tai asked her, "There are so many people in that city, but why Ruby?"

"I saw her playing at a coffee shop one morning and it was some of the most beautiful music I'd ever heard. There was so much emotion in it that I almost went home and did something creative myself, but by the time I made it back to my apartment I realized that the world didn't deserve to be cursed with whatever I tried to make," Tai laughed as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, "After that day I kept coming back for days, weeks on end, all just to hear her sing and watch her play. After a little bit I developed a crush on her honestly," she could feel her cheeks glow red, "She looked so incredible when she performed, and I became a little infatuated with everything about her for a while. Eventually I finally worked up the courage to talk to her and after I forgot to tell her my name when I left that day we kind of became bound by fate."

He nodded, rubbing his chin, "You're one of the people who thinks about things like fated encounters and love at first sight I assume?"

"I believe in destiny more than anything," she answered, "all of that stuff kind of falls under its umbrella to me," she sipped her water again, "You don't, I take it?"

"No kiddo I do. I've experienced some of those things first hand," the blond man's smile disappeared, "And I can say without a doubt that what you two have is exactly like what I had with her mom."

Pyrrha was silent, simply looking back at him. His smile returned a moment later, "Well, I think I'll let you get back to her. Rambled on enough for one night anyways," he stood, patting her on the shoulder as he walked past, "Congratulations kid. Everyone in this family seems to have that happen to them."

* * *

"And just how are you coping with being alone for so long?"

"I'm not," Weiss whined into the phone, "I miss spending time with you. I've been going to bed at like seven and watching Antiques Roadshow _ alone_. Do you know how lonely you have to be to watch Antiques Roadshow with nothing but a _ glass of wine_? I'm _ old _without you."

Pyrrha cackled, "I'll try to come over after we get back and save you from yourself and the burdens of aging. Stay strong for me, I don't want to hang out with someone old when I get back."

"I'll try living like you to stay young. Going to bed after eating a bowl of chips at three in the morning," the redhead laughed again, "Maybe I'll develop a crush on some barista while I'm at it."

"You're _ real _funny, y'know that? A real comedian. Anyone ever tell you how funny you are when you make jokes like that?" she could hear Weiss roll her eyes, "Jealousy's not a good look on you hon, and I can tell that from your voice."

"It's jealousy isn't, not that you asked-"

"You're right, I didn't. And the fact that you knew what I meant proves it doesn't matter," Ruby appeared in the doorway, Pyrrha bringing the phone away from her ear, "Do you need something love?"

"Uh, would you be willing to go somewhere with me? We don't have to drive or anything and you don't have to but I just figured I'd ask you if you wanted to."

"I'd love to, if you'll give me a second," she brought the phone back up to her ear.

"Are you two lovebirds done or am I interrupting?" Weiss asked dryly.

"I've got to go. I'll call you later."

"Bye Pyr, talk to you soon."

"Goodbye Weiss."

Ending the call, she slipped her phone into her pocket and stood from Ruby's bed, "Where're we going love?"

"I'll tell you when we get there, if you don't mind," her silver eyes darted away, looking out the window, "I'd like it to be a surprise."

"Lead the way."

She followed Ruby out of the house and around back, starting on a trail into the forest behind it. The sun had managed to break through the clouds for the first time in a few days, casting a glow on the landscape without heat. Snow crunched beneath their feet, existing in defiance of the sun's presence. The trees grew thicker and thicker around them as they kept down the path, a canopy of leaves and needles stopping any overhead light from reaching the forest floor.

Ruby didn't say anything, so neither did she. Walking in silence for nearly ten minutes, the only sound coming from the space around them. It wasn't concerning necessarily, there would be times when Ruby would just grab her wrist and lead her somewhere. But something about this felt different, more serious. Most of the time she'd try to throw in a joke, it just didn't feel right.

Eventually the path seemed to open back up, the trees growing further apart. She could see the end of the path, though she couldn't see what it was. The closer they grew the more she saw. A cliff, and some kind of large rock. It was only once she could read the writing from the edge of the path that she knew exactly what it was. Why Ruby had been so quiet about bringing her out here.

Ruby stopped where the path petered out, her steady breaths puffing out as small white clouds, "I'm sorry I didn't say where I was taking you, it's just-" Pyrrha could see the tears forming in her eyes, wrapping the shorter woman in a hug without a second thought.

"You don't have to explain something like this love," she whispered, "I'm sure something like this is hard, but I'll do whatever you need me to to make it easier."

"Thank you," Ruby murmured, sniffling, "I asked Yang about how hard this was 'cause she does it every time we come home but even then," she wiped her eyes, "It's just so weird."

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Pyrrha offered, "Do you want me to go away so you two can be alone for a little while or-"

"No!" Ruby interrupted, flinching at how loud she'd been, "I actually wanted you to meet her, if you want."

The taller woman smiled down at her, "I'd love to."

Tentatively, she released Ruby, slotting their hands together. They took a shaky step forward, then another, and another, until eventually they were feet from the marker.

"Hi mom," Ruby greeted, smiling sadly, "I uh, I know it's probably been longer than it should've, but there's been a lot going on. I'm sorry though, about not seeing you as often."

She let the silence hang in the air for a moment before continuing, "I've been doing alright, I'm sure Yang told you something or other about everything that's happened. I wouldn't be surprised if you saw it either but," she sucked in a breath, "Music's been going good, after I moved I was able to actually have a studio so I can do more stuff now rather than just live. I'm trying to keep your guitar in good shape, bein' extra careful with it like you always told me to."

Again she was met with silence, "I met someone too. Thanks to your guitar, actually. She's amazing, and I know you guys would get along. Mostly because she doesn't take Yang's shit either sometimes," Pyrrha laughed softly, shaking her head. Ruby looked up at her, "D'you want to say anything to her?"

"I can if you want me to," Ruby nodded, causing her to turn back to the stone, "Hi, Mrs. uh Ruby's mom-"

"Summer."

"Hello Summer," she quickly corrected, giving a quick wave with her free hand, "My name is Pyrrha Nikos. I'm sorry I couldn't meet you, but I'm beyond glad I met your daughter. She's the most amazing person I've ever met, and you did a wonderful job. A promise might not mean much coming from someone you've just met but," she swallowed thickly, "I'll always keep her safe."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there we go. I tried to keep things nice and fluffy but I just had the idea for that scene and I wanted to include it so bad, so I did.
> 
> Like with last time, I will respond to any and all comments left here. How long after this chapter is posted doesn't matter, I will do it. Though this time around I feel like I've been better at responding to comments overall.
> 
> It's been a hell of a ride, and I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thank y'all ever so much for reading, have a great day, and I'll see you (hopefully) soon.
> 
> P.S. Chapter title is "Real Love" by The Beatles.

**Author's Note:**

> gonna be honest, don't know when the exact next time I'll update this is. also sorry for no summary, I'll try to fix that. all I know is it'll (most likely) be after Halloween. but I will continue it, rest assured. thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed and I'll see you when I see you.
> 
> work title: While My Guitar Gently Weeps by The Beatles  
chapter title: Wild Horses by The Rolling Stones


End file.
